Reaction, Right & Wrong

How should leaders react to failure? A leader’s response to setback is vital in shaping the team perspective. True leaders are sensitive to their team's emotions. They allow humanising of the situation however they balance that with moving forward with positive takeaways.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,” said Martin Luther King, Jr.

Missed deadlines, failed projects, attrition of resources, and employee disengagement are common setbacks in corporate life. Accompanying these are feelings of disappointment, frustration or anger, and the blame game. Failures shape perspectives but whether they can become stepping stones to success depends considerably on how leaders react to them.

Consider one organisation where the team was unable to deliver. The manager in the team meeting, talked over who went wrong and then told them to move ahead. In another organisation, the team lead got his team together. After the post-mortem, he left the team alone for some time before scheduling subsequent meetings to discuss the way forward. No prizes for guessing which team made stepping stones out of failure.

A leader’s role is that of a tightrope walker. Balance is key, especially in times when leadership is most crucial.

It is important to put up a positive front, but there is something as too much positivity. It appears insincere. Allow team members some time and space to vent. Different people react differently; some may take longer to bounce back. While it is important to validate negative feelings, it is equally important not to wallow in them. Team meetings are good for going on about how and why it failed but better for brainstorming potential solutions for damage control. Remember to focus on what went wrong rather than who went wrong. If pointing out individuals is imperative, remember to do it in private.  On the other hand, while zeroing in on the positives, focus on the individual contribution.

When teams fail, accountability lies with the leader. There is no foolproof formula for handling such situations. However, restraint and control can achieve productive results. In leadership, as Moliere pointed out, “It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable."