You’ve just experienced a major setback. How can you turn it into a catalyst for success?

The biggest test of leadership is not how one responds to success, but how one reacts to setbacks. To this end, a good friend of mine once observed, "Don't tell me how high an individual jumped, tell me how high he or she jumped back after getting knocked down." The keys to jumping back are, of course: acknowledging the setback/misstep, understanding what took place and why it occurred, making amends, learning and taking appropriate action, dusting oneself off, getting back on one's feet, picking up the rucksack, and soldiering on once again.

Simply put, self- awareness is one of the strongest attributes of a leader. Advisaries and colleagues / team members observe how you react to setbacks. Awareness of how your actions are perceived and how you move forward are keenly observed. It’s how you build team engagement and loyalty. Your team is your greatest force multiplier. We all make mis-steps. When you acknowledge and are accountable, it’s amazing how a well led team engages, comes together and overcomes. This only happens when the leader is accountable, humble and committed to learn and improve.

How you feel is the first step in motivating yourself and your team to identify a range of solutions. there is a long line of complainers - get in the much shorter line with problem solvers.

As others have shared, setbacks are an opportunity for growth. My personal mantra here is to use the word FAIL as an mnemonic for "First Attempt In Learning." The research of Carol Dweck suggests that a growth mindset is what leaders need to successfully navigate a VUCA (volatile-uncertain-complex-ambiguous) world and keeping this acronym in mind is what has helped me maintain that mindset as a leader.

Setbacks are an opportunity for growth. The first thing we must do is gain clarity. Unemotionally we assess the situation. Focus not on what you’ve lost but on what you have to work with. Look to solve the main issues rapidly and effectively. Don't waste time blame. When you've solved the most urgent issues you can understand why it occurred, so as to be able to avoid this happening in the future. What role did you play, if any, in creating the problem? We need to acknowledge our part and look to what we can change in our behaviour or our methods. Self accountability and action allow us to evolve, and setbacks offer the best opportunities. It doesn't feel good to acknowledge our shortcomings, but it opens the door for our own growth.

The purpose in analyzing the situation is to determine what went wrong, how to fix it, and how to prevent the problem from happening again. It is NOT to assign blame, and that must be made clear to everyone involved. However, blame is different than accepting responsibility for mistakes/errors. By analyzing the situation we can (hopefully) determine if the problem occurred because of a process issue (structural, systemic, etc.), or a personnel issue (training, inattention, confusion, miscommunication, etc.) and then work on fixing that issue. It may also be possible to apply this situation to other, similar situations, and perhaps prevent setbacks in other areas.

Una vez que hemos identificado nuestras emociones, es crucial analizar la situación de manera objetiva. Como empresa, esto implica examinar cuidadosamente los factores que contribuyeron al revés y entender cómo podemos aprender de la experiencia. Es una oportunidad para identificar áreas de mejora en nuestros procesos, estrategias o enfoques, y desarrollar soluciones efectivas para abordar los desafíos presentes y futuros.

Now is the time to dissect the situation to understand the things that failed. Do RCA as that documents your failures and turns them into a learning case study.

Gain a comprehensive grasp of the situation, employ your knowledge, skills, techniques, tools, and resources to form a common understanding, and forecast its potential impact.

Experiencing a major setback presents a unique opportunity for growth and resilience. Instead of dwelling on the failure of lost time, I believe it is more helpful to understand the causes of the setback, identify what things to improve, and develop a plan to overcome similar situations in the future. In short, it is better to accept it as a learning experience and use it to your advantage so that you can achieve the initial objectives or the new ones that emerge along the way. Perhaps success lies in the willingness to learn, adapt, and persevere in the face of adversity. It's worth a try.

The challenge of being first generation is also the task of navigating new and unfamiliar spaces. As an undergrad and post graduate, it has been a new way of life tackling the job market and hearing no, almost expecting it. With every rejection I hear, it amplifies me to look within and analyze some steps I can take. First one can be the way I reorient my approach to applications and materials required. Second, really do research into a company and make sure what they exemplify resonates with my own goals and missions (it’ll make the energy and motivation even more apparent in when interviewing). Lastly, knowing that every door closed is another one open can prime you to view things from a glass half full mindset and not half empty.

En momentos de contratiempos, es importante adoptar una mentalidad de crecimiento y buscar nuevas perspectivas. Como empresa, debemos estar abiertos a replantear nuestras estrategias y enfoques anteriores. Esto puede implicar buscar nuevas oportunidades emergentes, explorar diferentes enfoques para resolver problemas o incluso reconsiderar nuestra definición de éxito. Al hacerlo, podemos transformar los desafíos en oportunidades de crecimiento y desarrollo.

Every failure or setback in your life / career is an opportunity for you to reflect and learn from that. Take those as data for your growth.

Making mistakes or experiencing failures is not a roadblock but a hurdle that you need to cross. You can only learn from your mistakes when you take it in a positive way and take actions in evolving your decisions and skills. Lead by example that will help you to motivate your team as well to do the same.

Sometimes we are so invested in an outcome that we forget there are many ways to accomplish our goal. When we experience a setback it's time for us to adjust the course of our ship and keep going using a different approach. As leaders it's important to help our teams go through this perspective adjustment, and use the setback as a stepping stone and an opportunity to learn.

Taking action is always the most exciting part after dealing with a setback. Once you have a plan to move forward, commit to it! One of my favorite quotes from the founder of Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy, is "When you're fully committed, you're not likely to fail". Have confidence in yourself and in the plan you have made and take that next step!

Después de reflexionar y replantear nuestra perspectiva, es crucial tomar medidas concretas para avanzar. Esto puede implicar implementar cambios en nuestros procesos, tomar decisiones difíciles o incluso buscar nuevas colaboraciones o asociaciones. Como empresa, es fundamental no quedarnos estancados en la fase de análisis, sino actuar de manera decisiva para superar el revés y avanzar hacia nuestros objetivos.

Life is such that we are all busy with daily fire fighting. A setback or failure remind you that a pause is sometimes a good thing for you to take a look at the bigger picture.

Learning should be followed by action. I truly believe that actions speak louder than words. If you can't implement your learning and pave the way for your team towards success, then you are not evolving.

Don’t measure your success, you are leading a team. How will you lead the team to respond, recover and resume forward progress. The team got knocked down, sit up, get up, get back in there with a lesson learned.

En momentos de adversidad, es fácil concentrarse en lo negativo y perder de vista las cosas positivas en nuestras vidas y en nuestro trabajo. Como empresa, es importante practicar la gratitud y reconocer las cosas por las que estamos agradecidos. Esto puede incluir el apoyo de nuestros clientes, el compromiso de nuestro equipo o incluso las lecciones valiosas que hemos aprendido de la experiencia. Al cultivar una cultura de gratitud, podemos fortalecer la resiliencia de nuestra empresa y mantener una perspectiva positiva incluso en tiempos difíciles.

I have experienced a lot of setbacks in my life. At least as many as the successes. But this only in appearance, because I believe it is crazy to measure our life only in terms of successes and failures. Everything can become an opportunity, and sometimes real learnings arrive after a defeat. Have you ever seen any sportsman saying "I need to do more, to learn, or to commit more" when they arrive second in a competition? What to do then? Shift Your Perspective: Instead of viewing the setback as a failure, see it as a chance to grow. Emphasize learning and resilience over perfection. Believe in Your Ability to Improve: Cultivate the belief that you can develop your skills and intelligence over time through effort and persistence.

Life is full of challenges and obstacles but these can become opportunities if you change your perspective. Yes, failures and mistakes occur but those are teaching points and sometimes catalysts that push us forward to discovering our purpose. Often what we perceive as a setback might be a pathway for a new journey. Look for it. Along the way, you learn new skills and often find strengths you did not know you had. The definition of catalyst is something that causes change to happen.

Finalmente, en lugar de ver los revés como obstáculos insuperables, es crucial adoptar una mentalidad de crecimiento. Como empresa, debemos ver cada desafío como una oportunidad para aprender, crecer y mejorar. Esto implica fomentar una cultura que valore el aprendizaje continuo, la experimentación y la innovación. Al hacerlo, podemos transformar los contratiempos en catalizadores para el éxito a largo plazo.

Each failure provides an opportunity to ‘refine’ your skills and recalibrate your strategies. It also creates a pause allowing you to re-think the outcomes you want to achieve.

A growth mindset begins with resilience. Understanding that a setback doesn’t equal failure and instead it can be used as a learning experience to develop skills you might not have otherwise known if the challenge didn’t come along. How can you capitalize on this experience to be better prepared for the next uphill battle? Embrace that the path to success isn’t always clear and most times you have to just keep pushing to succeed in the end.

Henry Ford said "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." Complex and thought provoking problems are unlikely to be solved in first attempt. One has to show perseverance and determination to continue. Every failure gets you closer to success. Again go back to drawing board, start afresh, learn from last mistakes, break the complex problem into smaller steps, try to achieve the Must have and not directly aim for could have, Adopt Growth mindset. Take small steps!! Emphasize should be on resilience, adaptability and the continuous pursuit of improvement. Fail, Fail till you Succeed!!!

Use every setback as a learning moment and see the silver lining in the dark clouds. The truth of the matter is there is always something useful in every setback. Initially it is hard to see it. But think of the Ying-Yang or the transition from dawn to sunrise or of the scientist who conducted hundreds or even thousands of failed experiments before he succeeded. Always tell yourself that you can do it and succeed. Your mind will find a solution, either by working solo or in collaboration with others. Therefore, work with your trusted friends and colleagues. That will make your discovery journey more enjoyable.

Here is a new dimension. “Cultivate Resilience through Self-Care ??": An often overlooked yet crucial aspect of overcoming setbacks and catalyzing success is prioritizing self-care??♂?. Cultivating resilience isn't just about mental or strategic efforts; it's deeply rooted in how well you take care of your physical and emotional well-being ????. Implementing regular self-care practices such as mindfulness, exercise, adequate rest & healthy eating can significantly bolster your capacity to handle stress and rebound from setbacks ??♀?????. By ensuring you are at your best, physically & emotionally, you equip yourself with a stronger foundation to tackle challenges, innovate solutions & pursue success with renewed vigor and clarity ???

It is not about the experiences, or the setbacks that you had in life. It is about what did you learn from those experiences, those setbacks that will help you grow as a person.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross