Bouncing back as a leader has never been more timely a topic as it is for me in this present moment.

“It’s 2:40pm on a week day afternoon. I just boarded my plane after missing an earlier flight because I arrived at the gate too late. Too late to board my flight that left 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. I’ve had a challenging week already and this is how it comes to a close. As though I haven’t already stumbled my way through a week of setbacks. Extending a three hour travel day into a ten hour one brings me to recognize the universe is telling me to make a change.”

Hi I’m Byron Darden welcoming you to the latest edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. In this installment my focus is on dealing with setbacks. We all have them and we all have stories about how some setbacks we overcame while others, well, not so much.

It seems not so long ago I learned the valuable lesson that a setback, often referred to as a breakdown is what happens right before a breakthrough. Now when I experience a breakdown of some kind, I’m reminded that a breakthrough is on the horizon.

I also discovered five simple tips to overcoming setbacks. First and foremost, acknowledge it. We’re not immune to setbacks. Therefore recognize them so you can begin transforming them into the breakthrough up ahead. Second, rather than succumb to the blame game, focus that energy on how to move forward. Third, while everyone may have a different approach, mine is to ground myself in my spirituality. It is through my faith that I have been able to see beyond whatever setback I’m facing. Fourth, one of my greatest challenges is to allow time for the wounds of setbacks to heal.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back with ease from whatever might throw you off balance unexpectedly. In leadership, this can happen in any number of ways too numerous to count, and it can happen on a routine basis.

• Did the coffee shop screw up your latte again?
• Did the client change their requirements?
• Did you miss out on getting the promotion you deserved?
• Did you get laid off or fired?

Resilience is one of the table stakes of becoming an effective leader. One thing to remind ourselves of is that no matter how skilled you are, remaining grounded when losing your balance as a leader is as much a part of the role as regaining your footing when you find yourself careening into a tailspin; something pilots must learn how to overcome before getting their wings to fly.

No matter what your situation, the next step after the setback defines your leadership resiliency.

We see this displayed in the news. A company faces a situation that causes its stock to plummet, or its image to falter in the consumer’s eyes. This could be due to a natural disaster, past business decisions that are now questioned by employees or the public, or a myriad of other events.

The resilient CEO gets up in front of their employees and explains the situation and how the company plans to mediate the damage or bounce back. The stronger the relationship is between leaders and their followers, the greater possibility for overcoming setbacks.

When something fails to work out as expected – leaving us with a negative outcome, it’s learned behavior to react by pointing the finger at someone or something. While there may be outside influences that contribute to the issue, the one thing that you can control is your choice of response. Effective leaders take ownership of their part of the problem, learn from setbacks, and create opportunities for improvement.  It’s important to keep things in perspective and consult your team for solutions. 

Developing your resilience soft skills involves self-reflection.  Take time to reflect on the situation, brainstorm possible solutions, and determine your next steps.

1. Setbacks are often unexpected – or at least they seem that way.  Give yourself time to reflect on the situation.  This often results in the “Why me?” or “Life is unfair” inner criticism we fall prey to at times. Just avoid remaining in this state for too long.
2. After some reflection, you might realize that there are things you could have done differently.  Identify the buttons that were pushed and your shortcomings in averting the situation.
3. In many situations, there are elements out of your control and those that you can control.  Realize the difference and capitalize on what you learn.
4. Make a plan moving forward and be prepared to work on your plan.
5. Give yourself grace.  Setbacks happen to everyone and how you handle them will define you.
6. While it’s tempting to blame outside circumstances, you gain more by looking at the situation from different perspectives.  Remember that when you point a finger at others, three fingers are pointing back at you.
7. Throughout the process, stop and reflect on choices you make or decisions that led to the current unsatisfying situation. 
8. Resolve to learn from the setback and recognize how you can choose differently in the future.

I once worked with a client to develop storytelling techniques for use in business situations. Typically, these are stories with a teachable point of view. They are often told from the point of view of a life lesson learned. It could be a surprising insight gained from an otherwise unflattering light shown on the storytellers themselves, or perhaps a learning we have from watching the failure of another person’s actions.

They were petrified at the thought of standing before colleagues, sharing a less than proud moment from their lives. At the encouragement of the cohort with whom they were aligned, the moment came to stand in front of a classroom of high-powered executives and share the story they crafted over the course of an afternoon.

When the story reached its end, their fellow executives from all over the world, representing a wide variety of different industries, rose to their feet with the precision of the Rockets at Radio City Music Hall applauding that seemed to go on for some time. In all the years I’ve taught this program, I do not recall experiencing such a heartwarming appreciation for a story well told. The lesson learned is that we can be our own worst critic and when we simply trust in the process, something wonderful can emerge. In addition, we also grow in confidence the more we do the things that challenge us the most. Each building block that contributes to our courage makes us stronger and more willing to tackle the next.

It isn’t from theory that I draw lessons to help leaders overcome hurdles in their careers. It is from being in the trenches and learning from doing that comforts me in lifting others up.

“Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.” – Jamais Cascio

History books are filled with those that overcame adversity.  Abraham Lincoln faced adversity from his very early career, failing as a shopkeeper, and failing to be elected to Congress several times.  Imagine if he had given up – instead, he became one of our greatest Presidents.  Colonel Sanders didn’t succeed with Kentucky Fried Chicken until he was in his late 60’s.  JK Rowling’s Harry Potter was rejected by 12 major publishers before becoming one of the bestselling book series of all time.  The list goes on. 

Whether your setback is small or seemingly insurmountable, people rarely remember the circumstances of the setback; they remember how you stood up, dusted the dirt off your knees, and made a plan. 

Are you facing a setback and need assistance working out the details – someone to bounce ideas off and gain perspective, book a call on my calendar.  Together we’ll work on tools to help you bounce back.