One of the major differences between strong, successful leaders and the average leader is in their ability to turn failure to success.
As you know, everyone makes mistakes. But a lot of people are not open to looking at or trying to change their weaknesses.
With good leadership, you will be open to self-reflection and constructive criticism. This is because you will also have the awareness that your openness will contribute to improvement and growth. This is not an easy skill to develop.
In my professional career, I have certainly made plenty of mistakes. There was a time when I was reluctant to look at what I was doing incorrectly.
Instead, I expected myself to be perfect which ultimately held me back from doing a good job at work. Through a series of failures, I was able to see that I was on the wrong path and had the wrong mindset.
Today, I’m able to see that my greatest challenges have led me to build an SEO agency.
Getting laid off from a management position in the mall lead me to realize I was focusing my energy on something I didn’t want to do.
Getting scammed by an employee lead me to put more emphasis on the hiring process and educating myself so it wouldn’t happen again.
By practicing a few things, you can be well on your way to a more productive outlook and stronger leadership.
So here are four ways leaders can turn failure into success:
1. Be Gentle with Yourself
It’s very difficult to accept failure and grow from it when you expect perfection. Perfection is impossible to achieve. But many of us still chase it.
Changing your mindset will free you from a way of thinking that isn’t helpful. Once you realize you will make mistakes every now and again, you will be more flexible.
It’s necessary to be gentle with yourself if you want to succeed. Forgive yourself for the mistakes you make.
Once you can do this, you will see many more successes.
2. Be Open to Constructive Criticism
I’m not saying you should take everything everyone says as truth. But being open to constructive criticism also means you’re able to distinguish good advice from bad advice.
You should be open to listening to other people’s suggestions.
Listening to constructive criticism will open your eyes to things you previously could not see.
3. Write It Down
Writing can be a great tool for processing information and seeing things more clearly. When you fail, try jotting down things that come to mind in relation to your mistake.
Give yourself time and journal about these issues regularly. Eventually, when you revisit the incident, you will understand it better.
4. Seek Out A Mentor
Mentorship is a wonderful thing that can help you on your path to professional success. It’s humbling to know that no matter how smart we are, we don’t have all of the answers.
A mentor can help you set goals and identify any issues. When working with a mentor, you will get a different perspective that you can benefit from.
Conclusion
With the information provided, you should be well on your way to growth and a strong future as a leader.
Just remember, take it day by day. There is no challenge too big that you can’t learn from.
Related Articles
How Can Leaders Turn Failure into Success?
If you have ideas about turning failure into success that might be helpful to readers, share them in the comments section below. Thanks!
Would you like to contribute a post?
Most excellent article and information. Here is an article I posted on my Blog and that I use to each on the topic of resilience. The information is taken from the finding of a U. S. Navy five year study to help fight suicide in the Navy, and improve performance as well.
https://vanguardldrship.wordpress.com/2019/03/09/the-ineffable-power-of-resilience/.
David