Dealing With Failure in Leadership: Mastering Resilience for Aspiring and Current Leaders
Dealing with failure is a necessary part of life. This is particularly true in the workplace, and especially for leaders and managers.
A leader will never be able to call himself ‘resilient’ unless he is experienced in dealing with failure. He cannot develop his potential as a leader or drive his team to the dream state of ‘high performing’ without having to deal with failure along the way. He will never know how far he, or his team, can go until he has gone too far.
A leader pushing himself too far until he experiences failure is the core definition of resilience. That is, failing, falling over and getting back up again. This is the most common understanding of resilience. Of course, regular readers of my posts will know that resilience is more than simply getting back up after a fall. A large part of resilience is developing strategies to avoid falling over in the first place.
However, we are discussing dealing with failure in this article and failure is closely linked to the concept of falling over and getting back up. The true, defining aspect of resilience will be seen when dealing with failure and when leaders hit their limits.
Defining Failure
Failure, or more specifically the fear of failure, is the spectre in our minds that prevents many people from pushing to their limits and discovering what they are truly capable of.
To be resilient, we need to look at failure differently. We need to look for what specifically has failed, rather than seeing failure as a single event.
Dissect the failure. Look at its component parts. Get input from others. Be absolutely intentional about how this is done. Break it down. Identify what failed. Understand it. Address it.
Dealing with Failure in Leadership: Inevitability
Leadership is fraught with challenges. Swift decisions must be made, often with incomplete information and the stakes are often high. Mistakes and failure are inevitable.
The problem with this inevitability for many people is they look on these mistakes and failure as a sign of inadequacy. They don’t recognise failure as an essential part of leadership, essential to their growth and development.
The impact of failure on a leader’s resilience is profound. It tests and ultimately strengthens their ability to navigate through turbulent times. Understanding that failure is a part of the success equation is crucial for several reasons:
- Mental toughness, resilience and perseverance requires failure so the pains of not prevailing can be seen for what they are.
- Learning and growth: Failure teaches powerful lessons that cannot be delivered by success. Leaders who have failed understand the importance of reflection and learning. They become adept at identifying what went wrong and why, making them better decision-makers.
- Innovation and risk-taking: Innovation often requires venturing into uncharted territories with a high risk of failure. Leaders who fear failure may stifle innovation and creativity within their teams. Embracing failure as part of the innovation process encourages a culture where bold ideas are pursued, and setbacks are seen as steps towards eventual success.
- Positivity: Positive and optimistic people see failure and mistakes as temporary setbacks rather than a permanent mark of inadequacy. They believe that success will be achieved, often due to being skilled at dealing with failure.
- Personal control: Resilient leaders focus on situations that they have control over. They feel empowered and confident due to spending their time and energy where they can have impact.
- Credibility and trust: Leaders who acknowledge their failures build trust and credibility with their teams because their acknowledgment shows they are willing to take responsibility, demonstrate humility and commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
- Personal commitment: Resilient leaders are committed to their goals (including team goals), friendships, relationships, and the causes they care about.
- Empathy: Experiencing failure firsthand fosters empathy and compassion in leaders. They become more understanding of their team members’ mistakes and more effective in providing support and guidance.
Dealing with Failure: Importance
Every person reading this article will have met a leader in their career who espoused the old myth ‘failure is not an option’. This myth is dangerous as it stifles team creativity, innovation and growth. It is more likely a reflection of the leader’s fear of failure and lack of understanding of the benefits it brings.
However, continuous exposure to failure without a strategic learning framework does not foster resilience. It is essential for leaders to cultivate a mindset and team/organisational culture where every mistake and setback is an opportunity for growth.
Having a clear strategy for dealing with failure can significantly bolster a leader’s resilience. By standing back and reflecting on the failure, he can gain perspective, practice patience, apply control and healthy emotions, identify what failed, learn from it and prepare to go again. The leader’s resilience can then bolster team resilience.
Mental Strategies to Manage Failure and Build Resilience
Given the inevitability and importance of dealing with failure in leadership, developing strategies to handle it is crucial. Here are……
- Redefine failure.
Embrace a perspective where failure is viewed as an essential step towards learning and growth, not a final verdict on your leadership capabilities.
- Keep a journal.
Documenting the failures and setbacks can provide invaluable insights and a clear path forward. This will help identify what failed and establish an action plan. The journal can be used to document and learn from all key events in the leadership journey.
- Practice self-compassion.
Being kind to yourself in times of failure is crucial. Leaders who practice self-compassion are less likely to engage in negative self-talk and are more likely to recover quickly from setbacks.
Beating yourself up after a failure only blinds you from identifying what specifically failed.
- Embrace a growth mindset.
Reflect on each failure, delving in to identify what failed and extract lessons that can refine your leadership approach and decision-making processes. Leaders who develop a growth mindset view failure as a natural part of the learning, and leadership, process rather than a reflection of their leadership capabilities. This perspective shifts the focus from proving yourself to improving yourself.
- Acknowledge your vulnerabilities.
One of my favourite truisms is “without awareness there can be no change”. To be resilient, you must be able to deal with failure. To deal effectively with failure, you must recognise and address your weaknesses and vulnerabilities. This turns potential pitfalls into areas of growth and strength.
- Recognise your strengths.
You must balance acknowledging your weaknesses with an acknowledgment of your strengths.
- Set goals.
Unrealistic goals and expectations often lead to greater disappointment and a sense of failure. Avoid this by setting realistic goals. You can then experience a series of small successes that build confidence and resilience.
- Maintain perspective.
Resilient leaders understand that a current crisis may not make that much of an impact over time, no matter how overwhelming it seems in the present. They will step back and gain a sense of perspective and identify where they can exert control and influence, rather than blowing the situation out of proportion.
- Choose your response.
We always have a choice in how we respond in any situation. We can choose to panic and engage in negative self-talk. Or, we can choose to maintain a sense of perspective, identify where we can take control, be patient and look for a solution. The choice is yours.
- Build a support network.
Resilient leaders understand the importance of a strong support network, populated by diverse, positive, empowering people who will provide support when asked. Diversity brings strength in times of challenge and stress. A good support network brings increased happiness and resistance to stress.
Conclusion: Transforming Leadership Through Failure
While often feared, failure is an essential aspect of leadership and the workplace. It provides invaluable lessons, fosters innovation, builds credibility, enhances resilience, and cultivates empathy. By embracing failure and adopting strategies to manage it effectively, leaders can maintain resilience and guide their teams through challenges with confidence and grace.
Leaders can employ practical strategies to navigate failure successfully by incorporating a growth mindset, practicing self-compassion, redefining failure, maintaining perspective, and setting realistic goals.
By integrating these strategies into your leadership practice, you not only enhance your resilience but also inspire your team to persevere, innovate, show patience, seek solutions and succeed.
Join our free ‘The Resilient Leader Masterclass’ to explore these concepts and embark on your journey to refined and resilient leadership.
