18 July 2014

5 Things to Do When You Fail



1) Acknowledge Where You Went Wrong

Most *all* of us have a hard time admitting we're wrong. Get over your pride. When you mess up fess up.

2) Don't Take it Too Hard

As leaders we beat ourselves up for failures. Don't let a small failure have a big impact on you. Generally try to let the size of the issue be as close as possible to the size of your reaction.

3) Get Help

Whether or not the failure is because you went all "Lone Ranger" on everybody the truth is an extra set or two of eyes is always helpful in regaining your upright posture as a leader. Get some trusted advisors and maybe a coach or two in the mix.

4) Evaluate

Evaluated experience brings efficiency. You could spend 40 years installing screen doors on submarines and you would have decades of experience, but it's not helpful to the functionality of a submarine. Set aside time to look at the problem from as many angles as possible and if possible get someone else up help.

5) Try Again

If you're going to do anything significant in leadership you will fail many times. Mehta matters is that you learn from your failure and move on. If your mission is life-altering you will find a way to keep going.