Failure is not failure. It's an opportunity for growth. By learning from our setbacks, we increase our chances of success. Success rarely comes overnight. It takes time and perseverance. While we always hope that things will run smoothly, it's important to instil in those we lead that they should never stop playing or pushing the boundaries. In doing so, we encourage them and ourselves to be creative and think innovatively and to not fear untried ideas, but to embrace them. Adaptability and reframing failure into opportunities for growth are the keys to longevity in business. Having a growth mindset will allow you and your business to keep ahead of these changes and your competition.
In business, strikeouts are part of the game. One leadership lesson that a past setback really hammered home is the importance of transparency combined with failing fast. When we faced a challenge, being upfront with the team about the situation was key. Transparency builds trust and lets everyone collaborate on solutions. But we also learned to fail fast and learn faster. Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks and experiment, but be ready to adapt if things don’t go according to plan. It’s all about learning from mistakes, adjusting your approach, and keeping the team in the loop – that’s how you turn setbacks into stepping stones.
Processes are important, procedures are needed. Document everything. Work with objectives, measure what you’re doing, benchmark. If you don’t track and measure, you don’t know if you’re going in the right direction. For me, doing all of these things is a key part of being a leader and something I've had to learn the hard way over the years. As the CEO, it is my responsibility and only my responsibility to understand and guide the company as a whole. This means that having all of the facts and figures constantly on hand so I can be the most knowledgeable about how we're doing at any give time is a must.
In the early days of Bemana, I ruminated heavily on each and every setback. I thought that eliminating failure entirely was the only solution, and worked towards perfectionism. But of course, disappointments prevailed. It was my mentor who pointed out that my mindset was the actual issue. Expecting smooth sailing all the time is unrealistic, and dwelling on mistakes with 20/20 hindsight is unproductive. The habit was holding me back. She advised me to set a time limit on contemplation. When setbacks occur, it's fine to spend an hour or two evaluating what went wrong. But when that consideration drags on for days and weeks, it becomes negativity for negativity's sake: a sort of mental punishment. Implementing boundaries on this behavior helped immensely, and I'm now able to move on from failures quickly, and stop playing the self-sabotaging blame game.
Find out the 'why' behind the failure instead of glossing over it. Admitting our mistakes can sting at first, but figuring out where we went wrong and learning how to avoid making the same mistakes again helps us grow a lot. When we see failures as chances to learn and really dig into what caused them, we build resilience and sharpen our decision-making skills for the next go-round!
Embracing adaptability is crucial for leaders. From my experience at ZenMaid, when a customer finds a bug in our software, I see it as a chance to improve our product and demonstrate our commitment to service. This mindset is a lifesaver, especially during setbacks. For instance, losing a key team member is tough, but it forces us to distribute responsibilities more evenly. Simple perspective shifts turn challenges into growth opportunities.
I believe Albert Einstein is the one who said, "failure is success in progress" and I was only recently truly able to relate to this quote. You see, someone who hasn't failed has never truly had the chance to grow because growth and progress come via adversity and what is failure but a challenge to over come. The very first time I set up my company, I failed. It was a devastating experience but this is the greatest leadership lesson. You must be able to gain wisdom through your experiences and grow and then mentor the next generation on how to be better. Many make the mistake that leadership is like a herder who directs his flock. No. It is more like a wolf who must train their cubs to grow strong and resilient. And resilience is learnt when you overcome failure.
One critical leadership lesson I’ve learned from a setback is the importance of accurate project estimation and billing. Early in my career, we undertook a large roofing project without fully accounting for all potential costs. We underestimated the materials needed and the labor hours required, which led to significant financial loss once the job was complete. This experience taught me the value of thorough planning and detailed cost analysis before committing to a project. Now, we invest more time in the initial assessment phase, considering every possible expense and contingency. This approach not only helps us avoid financial pitfalls but also ensures we can deliver on our promises without compromising on quality. This setback underscored the necessity of clear communication with clients about potential additional costs. By being transparent and setting realistic expectations from the start, we build trust and avoid misunderstandings. This lesson has been instrumental in refining our processes and improving our overall business operations.
One of the most significant leadership lessons I've ever learned from difficulties is the need for discipline. I can share an example of the project which seems like it was yesterday. We forgot about the specifics since we were too enthused about the new product we were creating for a client. Disaster struck as we hurried into production without giving it enough testing. The product was rife with defects and fell short of our client's expectations. Our reputation and a substantial sum of money were ultimately lost. In retrospect, I see that the failure sprang from our lack of discipline. One important thing I took away from the event is that we were so preoccupied with the outcome that we overlooked the process.
One pivotal leadership lesson I've learned through failure is the importance of taking ownership. It’s only a true failure if you fail to learn from it. Learning leaves the room when we justify failures by blaming external factors and others, by seeking false comfort and validation. By honestly reflecting on our failures, what we would do differently, where we messed up and where we did great, even within the ultimate failure or setback, allows us to reframe them as opportunities, and respond with actionable personal changes. I provided a way to embrace my vulnerability but refuse to stay there. Instead, by "owning" my role, actions and results, I life my growth mindset, strengthen my resilience, increase my knowledge, wisdom, and insight, and prepare for next time. Owning our failures and seeing them as a necessary part of learning ensures we are always moving towards becoming our personal best, remembering it's a journey, not a destination.
Success belongs to the team, failure belongs to you. It's a tough lesson to learn, but a necessary one. When you're leading a business and things are going well, it is important to remember that you are a cog in a machine and only part of the reason for its success. As a leader, however, when things are going less well you have to understand that your role changes. You are the magnet for criticism and rightly so - these things happened under your leadership, after all. Being a leader can be a thankless job if you practice selfless leadership, but these leaders are the best of the lot in my experience.
Criticise broadly and praise specifically. I worked with a manager who singled out employees when they made a mistake. I remember the guy singling out a colleague of mine because her sales record was below what was expected. It was in front of the whole group of salespeople, too. The girl ended up crying and leaving early that day, not to mention the effect it had on the morale of the whole sales team. After all, if you have a leader dealing with someone else like that, what's to stop them from doing it to you when you inevitably make a mistake? I've taken this story with me once I moved up into management, and now I live by the rule of criticised broadly and praise specifically. When you criticise broadly, you don't make anyone feel small, and if anything, it brings the whole team together. Giving feedback this way allows you to highlight whats going wrong, but not make anyone feel small and resent you. When you praise specifically, you see people light up. You make the person's day and also set an example for the rest of the team to follow. You tend to see an uplift in morale, as people want to be singled out next time for something great that they have achieved.
Sometimes, failures are your fault as a business owner, even if you weren't directly to blame for the decision involved. Being a leader means delegating and managing your team, and when one of them messes up, you need to look at your own strategies carefully. Ultimately, it's your company, and the buck stops with you. Recently, I had to remind myself of this. A worker made a mistake that set us back weeks and my instinct was to place blame at their feet. But instead, I took a moment to consider the training I'd offered, and assess where my advice might have fallen short. A quick review opened my eyes to the issue, and I realized that I hadn't adequately prepared them for every possible scenario. I can't expect my workers to read my mind and know what I would do on the fly -- I have to walk them through hypotheticals and provide strict protocols. Taking responsibility allowed me to adjust my onboarding process in a way that ensures future employees will know exactly what to do in similar situations.
Some say ‘don’t dwindle on failures, look forward’, I disagree. Dwindling on failures is a necessary exercise to becoming a better leader. Instead of just moving on, take the time to analyse the failure or the setback. What caused it? What could have been done better? What lessons can you draw from this? Whenever we fail at something I ask my team to write out an analysis of what happened and what lessons they learned and share it with the company. The purpose is to utilise the failure, understand how to avoid it in the future. Just ignoring it only sets you up for repeating it again.
As Director of Business Operations for Stallion Express, I’ve had my fair share of setbacks. One of the biggest lessons I learned from a failure is the importance of being flexible. A few years back, we introduced a new cross-country shipping service that we thought would be popular based on early market research. We were wrong. The initial response was negative. We quickly realized that our expectations didn’t match up with what our customers were looking for. It was a frustrating experience but also a valuable lesson: never ignore your customers and be prepared to change course. Instead of replicating a failed approach, we conducted detailed customer research and analyzed shipping trends. Our customers preferred a new pricing model and quicker shipping times. By quickly adapting to these changes, we completely changed the service. Within 6 months, we saw a 30% improvement in customer satisfaction and a 25% increase in sales. Adaptability in leadership is not just about changing course. It’s about listening to feedback and adjusting as the market changes. My experience has taught me that staying on top of customer needs and being able to make quick changes is essential for long-term success. This lesson remains at the heart of all we do at Stallion Express to maintain our position as Canada’s leading eCommerce shipping company.
I’ve learned that owning your mistakes is crucial. During a major campaign flop, I tried to deflect blame, which only made things worse. I realized that admitting the failure, analyzing what went wrong, and showing a plan for improvement builds more trust and respect. I think people appreciate honesty and accountability far more than finger-pointing and excuses.
A key leadership lesson I’ve learned from setbacks is the importance of agility. When a major supplier suddenly went out of business, it underscored the need to have contingency plans and remain adaptable. This experience taught me to diversify suppliers and always be prepared for unexpected changes.
I learned to not be too hard on yourself. Even when recapping how the project went and what could have been done differently, know that hindsight is always 20/20. Be at peace in knowing that you did the best in the moment with the information you had, and don’t get stuck in a negative place thinking about how it went wrong or could have been done better (or perfectly!). Just utilize that project debrief/post-mortem to keep improving and moving forward in a positive way and keep refining your processes for the next projects.
One of the most enduring lessons I've learned came from an early setback when we failed to meet our recycling targets. Initially, I was incredibly disheartened, but this experience taught me the power of reflection. By critically assessing our processes and strategy, we recognized the need for more robust community engagement and innovative technology to process materials efficiently. This reflection not only led to substantial improvements in our operations but also instilled a culture of continuous learning and adaptation within our team. Now, we see every setback as an opportunity to refine and evolve, ensuring we stay committed to our mission of minimizing environmental impact.
Co-founder, Digital Marketing Director, Gardening & Home Improvement Expert at Reefertilizer
Answered 2 years ago
Building Reefertilizer taught me the critical value of adaptability. When faced with unexpected regulatory changes during our initial launch, we quickly pivoted our strategy instead of sticking to the original plan. This flexibility not only ensured compliance but also led to innovative improvements in our products and processes, strengthening our market position.