How to Lead though Triumphs & Turbulence: A Guide to Celebrate Success & Leverage Losses for Growth

You win some, and you lose some.

As a leader, you know that success and failure are inevitable parts of your journey. You also know that how you handle them can make a huge difference in your performance, your team’s morale, and your organisation’s culture. But do you know how to effectively celebrate successes and learn from failures?

If not, don’t worry. I’m here to help you with some tips and tricks that will help you turn every outcome into an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Celebrating Successes

When you achieve a goal or complete a project, it’s natural to feel proud and happy. But don’t just pat yourself on the back and move on - forgong ahead to overcoming the next challenge and non-chalantly notching up another victory onto your belt. I've been guilty of doing this too many times in the past - not taking the time to... Stop...

Pause...

Reflect...

Savour and drink in the moment of the achievement...

Feel the gratitude for what you've accomplished no matter how big or small.

Let it wash over you, humble you, and affirm you. Give thanks for everything that you've had to sacrifice for this victory; acknowledge the discipline, strength of character and resolve it took to get you to this mountain top. And honour those who directly and indirectly helped you make it possible.

Now that's what I mean by celebration! Of course, popping a bottle of champagne, enjoying some time for a social celebration, or even taking time off are great ways to celebrate as well.

Celebrating successes is important for several reasons:

• It boosts your confidence and motivation.
• It reinforces your positive behaviors and habits.
• It strengthens your relationships and trust with your team members.
• It creates a culture of recognition and appreciation.

So how do you celebrate successes as a leader? Here are some suggestions:

Acknowledge each other’s hard work and share the credit. This will make your team members feel valued and motivated. You can do this by giving feedback, recognition, or rewards. As Archana Rao, CIO of Atlassian, said, “Success is 100% based on my team. Without my team, I can’t accomplish anything.” She also said that she goes around telling everyone in the organization about how each person has contributed to a project or a system. Personally, I've been blessed to have worked with some amazing people from different backgrounds, cultures and countries - I've had (and have currently) worked with some extremely talented and gifted individuals in various teams that I've lead over the years - creating great work through various collaborative and team-inspired efforts. It's so important to remember that often we stand on the shoulders of giants, those who laid the groundwork before us - who paved the way. Then there are those who work in the background to support and enable our vision, and those who execute and operationalise our plans. When you've achieved a victory, remember those who had a role in making it possible.

Make it fun and memorable. Celebrating successes should be enjoyable and meaningful. You can do this by planning a party, a trip, or a special event . We can learn from the wise words by Oprah Winfrey,the Queen of Celebrations herself, she said, “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” I like that, challenge accepted.

Be specific and sincere. When you praise your team members, be specific about what they did well and how it contributed to the success. You can do this by using examples, data, or testimonials. Consider the wisdom of John D. Rockefeller: “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” I interpret this to mean - don't settle now that you've won! Keep striving for better to progress - push yourself and your people to greater heights. Learn from what went well and use that as a stepping-stone and encouragement to go to the next level.

Set the example and inspire others. As a leader, you should show your excitement and gratitude when celebrating successes. You can do this by sharing your story, your vision, or your challenges.

Remember, celebrating successes is not about bragging or boasting. It’s about acknowledging the effort, the progress, and the results that you and your team have achieved together.

Learning from Failures

The first rule about failures is not seeing it as "the end". It requires a perspective change before the fact, as this will enable you to not fear failure. But rather to see it as an opportunity for growth.

When you face a setback or a mistake, it’s natural to feel disappointed and frustrated. But don’t just dwell on the negative or give up.

Learning from failures is important for several reasons:

• It helps you identify the root causes and the consequences of the failure.
• It helps you find solutions and actions to fix it and prevent it from happening again.
• It helps you develop new skills and knowledge that will improve your future performance.
• It helps you create a culture of feedback, accountability, and learning.

So how do you learn from failures as a leader? Here are some suggestions:

Discuss what went wrong and why. After a failure, it’s important to analyse the situation objectively and honestly. You can do this by having a debriefing session, a survey, or a report. Henry Ford once said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Begin again as many times it takes until you succeed. You'll only truly fail once you quit. And, as the sage once said,

"Winners don't quit!".

Focus on solutions and actions. Once you know what went wrong, it’s time to take responsibility and take action. You can do this by brainstorming ideas, creating a plan, or assigning tasks. This timeless quote by Thomas Edison neatly captures this sentiment, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Use failures as learning opportunities and feedback. It's important to view failures not as disasters, but as opportunities to grow and improve.

You can do this by identifying the lessons learned, the skills gained, or the gaps filled. I appreciate this wisdom by Robert Kennedy: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." Show me a man or woman who has never failed, and I'll show you the man or woman who has never tried anything worth mentioning.

Remember, learning from failures is not about blaming or shaming. It’s about understanding the problem, finding the solution, and applying the learning. Live and learn; live deliberately.

Circle of Life...

Success and failure are both a part of life, they're a part of business; and they are part of the leadership journey. Successes and failures are both valuable sources of learning for leaders. What matters is what you take out of that experience. And how you harness it to grow and evolve into a better, wiser and more effective human being and leader. By celebrating successes and learning from failures, you can enhance your performance, boost your team’s morale, and foster a culture of excellence.

So next time you face an outcome, whether good or bad, don’t just ignore it or forget it. Celebrate it and learn from it.

And if you want to learn about how to be a more effective leader, strategist, change agent and innovator, then subscribe to my newsletter Cup of Jo if you haven't one so already, to receive weekly insights and tips on leadership, innovation, strategy and macro trends.

Let me know what you think? If there's any other leadership topic you'd like me to discuss then feel free to DM me with requests or suggestions for future consideration.

Mundum Mutare.