I have had my fair share of leadership failures. About 10 years ago, my then small team and I started a physical therapy facility. We did not have the time or know-how to make it successful. We closed our doors about a year later. Immediately after this, voices of doubt and defeat began to speak in my mind.
When this happens, we must punch back at the voices of doubt. When we experience failure in leadership, we must have a strong rebuttal to the sinister voice in our head that says, I must not be a good leader. Otherwise, we will stop leading boldly. Here are four ways leaders counter defeat.
1—Keep a log of your successes.
When failure comes, I remind myself of my previous leadership successes. Stop now, or at the end of your reading, take a pen and paper, and write down what you’ve done that’s amazing. Keep your list hanging in front of you if you have to. Review it daily if you need to. The goal is to remind yourself that you are capable. Many times the weight of defeat and worry over what may happen cripples our reasoning and hijacks our thoughts, and all we think about is, How could I have done this? Or, I obviously cannot do this.
2. Move away from failures.
When there is an area in which I am failing and I cannot seem to find the right tool to resolve it, I try to transition away from the crippling situation. When it is a person I cannot seem to reach or connect with, I look for another leader in my organization who can reach him or her. I do this because trying the same thing over and over again is not a good strategy to turn situations into a win, and it definitely is not good for our psyche. Of course, this must not be a strategy to simply forego challenging situations or punt difficult problems to others.
3. Tell yourself: “I am not good at this—yet.”
“I am not good at this yet” invokes the attitude that I am getting better. I am on a growth journey. I may not be able to win now, but with time I will win. I may surrender the battle this time, but give me time, and when this comes my way again, I will overcome it. How do I know that? Because I practice these growth principles daily. I have a history of getting better as a result of my commitment to personal growth. The YET saves the day!
4. Tell yourself: “I am not good at this, and that’s okay.”
The fourth defense from an onslaught of the negative voices is: “I am not good at this, and that’s okay.” I don’t have to be good at everything to be an effective leader, and I certainly don’t have to be an effective leader to be a worthy human being. No leader is perfect in all areas. Of course, this must not become an excuse to neglect self-improvement because “after all, no one is perfect.” Rather, put leadership and accomplishment in eternal perspective. God loves you, and your family and close friends love you, regardless of your failures. So, it’s okay.
Leadership is hard. Failure will come. Even big failures will come. Effective leaders must know how to deal with failure if they are to not lose heart and rather continue fighting and pressing forward.
I pray this adaptation from a previously published article in 2018 encourages you to forge ahead boldly in the face of any daunting challenges you face without fear of failure.
How can I support you more as a Christian leader and entrepreneur?
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