​It happens to the best of us.  You set a goal and fail to meet it.  Maybe it’s a sales goal.  Maybe it’s a performance goal.  Maybe it’s winning a Super Bowl.  Whatever the circumstance, falling short of a goal can be devastating and if you don’t know how to bounce back and help your team bounce back from defeat, it could have disastrous results.  Here are a few helpful steps for recovering from a loss:

1. Process your emotions.  It is likely that you feel a variety of emotions after falling short, including feeling like a failure, feeling inadequate, feeling angry, and wanting to give up. This is a natural part of the process.  It is important for you and your team members to have an opportunity to acknowledge and validate these feelings.
2. Identify what went wrong.  In most circumstances, the moment when things began to fail can be pinpointed.  During this stage, it is important to identify the circumstances and hurdles that led to the defeat rather than pointing fingers at individual people.  Instead, consider whether you underestimated the challenges that you would face while pursuing this goal or overestimated your individual or team strengths.
3. Identify the weak links.  As the leader, you must identify any team members who played a large part in the team’s failure.  Is this person able to be coached or trained for better performance in the future?  If not, the person may not be able to remain on the team.
4. Find the bright spots.  It’s doubtful that the situation was a complete loss.  Were there any stellar performances?  Were there any small wins to celebrate?  Identify the individual and team strengths that can be leveraged moving forward.
5. Accept responsibility.  As a leader, success or failure falls on your shoulders. Was your personal performance less than satisfactory?  Could you have guided or supported your team in a better or different way? 
6. Adjust.  You and your team cannot spend too much time in failure analysis.  Adjust and redesign your strategies for next time.  It is important that you have a clear plan for how to move forward successfully.

No one wants to lose, but in the event that a loss occurs, we must be strategic in how we lead our teams to recovery.  Additionally, having a plan for bouncing back helps to prevent leading from emotions such as disappointment or anger.  Instead, a good leader will optimistically lead their team to their next challenge with a winning outlook.
 

This is the time of year when educators are going back to school.  For many teachers, there has been time over the summer to rest, recharge, and plan for the upcoming year.  The lucky ones were able to squeeze in vacation!  For principals and other education leaders, there may not have been much of a break since the last school year.  Between ending the school year, running summer school, hiring staff, participating in training, and preparing for back to school, there was probably very little time to mentally prepare for the new school year.

What happens when educational leaders do not enter the school year fresh and rejuvenated?  They may find themselves easily frustrated, running short on creative ideas, and thinking of an exit plan!  The school year will run much more smoothly if campus and district leaders are ready for a fresh start.  Here are a couple of ways for beginning the school year with a fresh mindset:

1. Find an hour to spend in quiet reflection about your past school year.  Time to reflect as a leader is rare due to interruptions and demands.  Without thinking about a particular report or "get-better plan", think about what went well during the school year and what didn't go so well.  What were your celebrations?  How do you feel about how you personally responded to the situations and problems that you faced?  How can you do better personally?  How can you strengthen your team?
2. Begin reading a book to help you with your personal growth.  The book that you select does not necessarily have to be about leadership or about education.  Find an area that you would like to grow in and find a book that can help you grow in that area.  Read the first couple of chapters, highlight, take notes, and make a plan for progress.  Plan to finish the book before the school year is over.
3. Take a day off.  This is a real day off.  No phone calls, emails, or reports for work.  This probably has to be a weekend, but leaders need the time to disengage.  It's bonus points for turning it into a "stay-cation" and spending the night in a nice hotel with a swimming pool!
4. Find a professional coach.  A leadership coach can help leaders to find their strengths and weaknesses using an objective viewpoint.  They can guide the leader as they begin the school year and support them throughout the course of the school year.

Students and staff will appreciate a refreshed and rejuvenated leader.  The new school year is a new beginning for everyone, including the leader!

If you are interested in personal leadership coaching, send me a quick note and we can talk!