Exceptional leaders can weather any storm because they share a key outlook when it comes to challenges and setbacks: they view them as learning experiences.
When you truly learn from mistakes, you grow and improve as an individual and as an organization. Let’s look at how to turn setbacks into comebacks.
Acknowledge successes big and small
Don’t strive for perfection — it creates unnecessary tension and causes burnout. Instead, strive for your business to be the best that it can be (imperfect and all) and commit to lifelong learning and constant improvement.
Analyze your setback: Were you aiming for perfection, or is there a real challenge to overcome? Regardless of the difficulties or failures, always give credit when credit is due. Acknowledging small achievements boosts morale and can even present interesting alternative solutions for your organization’s toughest problems.
Don’t be harshly critical
As a leader, you will face the major errors by your staff and be responsible for the repercussions. While you may be disappointed, frustrated or downright upset, you must maintain a professional, positive demeanor.
Constructive criticism helps employees improve; harshness only hurts feelings and often distracts from the work to be done. Don’t allow your inner dialogue, nor your outer dialogue, to stray into severities.
The three “-tics”
Replace harsh feelings or words by being pragmatic, sympathetic and enthusiastic. Use pragmatism to look at the setback from a logical rather than emotional perspective. Next, be sympathetic: Connect on a human level and remind yourself that unintentional mistakes are part of life.
Finally, be enthusiastic and motivated to find and implement solutions. Your leadership can affect everyone’s outlook, so make sure you are moving forward toward a solution rather than dwelling on the negative.
Choose your words carefully
Like an amazing PR team, your job is to put a positive spin on even the worst situations. Your words and actions can make all the difference, so take the time to collect your thoughts, rein in your emotions and craft an honest but positive message for your team that clearly tells staff where to focus: on finding solutions rather than casting blame.
Approach every situation with a blank slate
You’re bound to encounter more than one setback. Unfortunately, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution for the modern workplace. A tactic that worked for one scenario might be totally inappropriate for another.
Turning a setback into a comeback is easier said than done. When faced with our toughest challenges, it’s tempting to think, “Nobody could turn this situation around” — but that simply isn’t true. The best leaders can find a positive spin for every problem, handle it with tact and learn from it — and these lessons can serve you well throughout your life and career.