When we find ourselves wondering “How on earth did that happen?” “How could I forget to forward the report!” “That didn’t go as planned” and so on and so forth, it can be easy to get down on ourselves. Resilient leaders don’t dwell on their mistakes, but they do know how to take hiccups in stride and bounce back quickly.
Think your leadership could use some agility training? Read Arden Coaching’s post “Resilience in Leadership: 5 Ways to Bounce Back” for tips and new perspectives.
1. Ask Yourself: Is This Really Important?
So you forgot to send a proposal and lost the chance to take on a big customer. In this moment, the slip-up at hand probably feels like a big mistake. But you need to be able to learn from it and then let go.
One of the best ways to do this is to be clear with yourself about what’s truly important. In the grand scheme of things, what does this mean? If you have a family to go home to, whether or not you signed off in the wrong order isn’t important.
2. Keep Work and Home Separate
If you can see life as something that you shouldn’t get attached to and understand that everything doesn’t revolve around what happens at work, you’ll be happier in both of the roles that you play.
The key here is to be able to tap into this notion and work toward a better work-life balance all the time and not just when something goes wrong.
3. Craft Your Centering List
When you need to pick yourself up again, doing an activity you enjoy is one of the easiest ways to do so. To get yourself re-centered, make a list of activities that help you bring your spirit back and always have it on hand.
Your list might include playing basketball, taking a walk in nature, watching a comedy show, baking, or listening to a certain song—whatever makes you feel more you!
4. Have a Place to Vent
It also helps to have a way to vent your feelings. This might be something from your centering list like playing basketball or it might be going to the gym or chatting with a therapist or a close friend.
Being able to vent when you need to will allow you to return to work and deal with issues in a thoughtful and purposeful way instead of being reactive.
5. Focus on the Big Picture
Our final tip is to focus on a long-term goal rather than day-to-day progress. If you concentrate on a far-off goal, the small ups and downs that come along shouldn’t bother you as much. Recognizing that there will be both ups and downs in all that you do is a part of it too.
As the Old Proverb Goes…
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! Want more help with strengthening your leadership? An executive coaching engagement can provide the outside perspective you need to identify areas of improvement and work toward new ways of thinking and leading.
Interested in how the process works? Download our introductory guide to executive coaching for more information.