Despite challenges with career impediments, due to one reason or another, there are ways you can get back on track more quickly after you’ve been derailed.
Not quite like a rubber ball that bounces back, leaders who have fallen have a lot more effort to get back to where they were before their fall. Peter Barron Stark believes that, “Resilient People Don’t Bounce Back: They Spring Forward”. People who are the most resilient are actually able to spring forward and, because of the adversity, emerge stronger.
Have you ever had a major setback? One bounce back from a setback can make a huge difference. Instead of basking in the gratification of your accomplishments, be aware of the way you respond when your fate deflates your triumphs.
Resilience is one of the key qualities desired in business leaders today. Resilience is the ability to bounce back, cope, renew, and revitalize. Some qualities of resilient people include: Optimism, Integrity, Social Support, being Decisive (attempt to control only those things over which they have control), Take responsibility, and to Exercise self-control.
The children’s nursery rhyme of Humpty Dumpty: “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.” This was actually about King Richard III of England having a mental breakdown. The idea of having a period of time when you cannot be at your best takes its toll on you. It may take some time before people believe in you again.
When children fall, they are encouraged to get up and begin again. When a leader makes a mistake, they re-evaluate the situation, and make adjustments to then begin again as well. No one is immune to a fall of any kind.
Get Perspective
Retaining your leadership reputation is important to you for your ego and self-worth to prove to others you are still a great leader. Bouncing back after a fall, as leader you need to understand and be more aware of the blind spots and fatal flaws that can bring you down. At the same time, many leaders are resilient to the point of being able to understand what happened & how things happened for them where they can dust themselves off & begin again.
Great Leaders are Resilient! They bounce back from a fall, oftentimes landing on their feet. The same qualities and traits that helped you ascend your leadership are the same ones that help you bounce back and move forward after a fall. These include: resilience, patience, determination, confidence, courage, humility and integrity.
The keys to bouncing back from excessive stress:
• Positive Attitude
• Having an outlet, hobby• Support network, including leadership
Rebuilding trust may be difficult since trust is the cornerstone of the work culture of every successful company. As a leader, you need to “walk your talk” and your actions need to be exactly what you say you will do. If your actions are different than what you say, then trust will not be there.
Restores your reputation as long as you understand what happened and how it happened. Minimize mistakes and keep your commitments. Back up your words with action. Watch your body language as that is also a telling sign of how you are with others.
Leadership comes with responsibilities and in achieving your goals as well as those of the organization you lead. There is an expected positive impact that justifies the decisions made. The potential to derail your career and reputation is there every day. It is a matter of how you manage yourself in what you say and what you do that makes the difference in whether you stay or go.