Probably cult of personality, which I believe Maoists and Marxists of all stripes have acknowledged as something to be avoided but can nonetheless result in condition of revolution and siege / capitalist encirclement.

Also maybe just bad theory, Gonzalo was a self styled thought leader that synthesized his own theory, so there could have been fundamental errors in his theory, or it could have just been his own personal failings reflected by the actions of the shining path due to cult of personality. I don’t know enough to say.

The Khmer Rouge leadership at some point admitted they had no understanding of Maoist theory and were only adopting it as aesthetic and for support from China.