How to bounce back from failure.

In the wake of International Women’s Day this month, I wanted to focus on a topic most of us have found ourselves dealing with over the years – how to bounce back from failure.

I’ve learned the hard way that failure isn’t necessarily the end point. 

It's more of a stepping stone that's part of your leadership growth and achievement. It might be a missed opportunity, such as a promotion you didn’t apply for, or it might be a setback you didn’t see coming.

From personal experience, failure makes me feel frustrated, disappointed and anxious.  I start to doubt myself and question my abilities.

Yet, we all have more resilience than we give ourselves credit for.

Although resilience might not help us to avoid failure, it will help us to bounce back stronger.

In this newsletter, I explore what you can do to dig deep and find that resilience, to bounce back stronger and more confident.

 6 ways to bounce back from failure

Right now, it might be that you feel you don’t have enough strength or confidence in the face of failure.

However, there are ways you can build resilience to be able to easily recover from mistakes and setbacks; you can reframe and bounce back by using these techniques:

Be kind to yourself

This is especially important during times that are challenging.

Acknowledge how you feel but don’t let yourself wallow in your emotions for too long or allow them to dictate your actions.

In the past I’ve let months go by without taking action because I’ve been so overwhelmed by failure and how it made me feel.

I now set myself a date when I have to put on my ‘big girl pants’ and just get on with it. In the interim, I can allow myself some guilt-free time to wallow, knowing I’ve a date to get started again.

And treat yourself with the same empathy and understanding you would give a friend or trusted colleague in the same situation.

Celebrate small wins

Failure can be so overwhelming you forget to celebrate your achievements, even the small ones. Yet, acknowledging something great can keep you motivated and boost your confidence at a time when you really need it.

Reflect on lessons learned

You’ll be surprised by how far you’ve come when you look back and are honest about what you could have done differently or avoided altogether.

Try to step back and look at the ‘failure’ from a different perspective.

The more you understand about what went wrong, the easier it is to adapt your approach next time.

Ask for feedback from trusted mentors, peers or colleagues to help you work out how this experience fits into the broader context of your career.

Focus on solutions

It’s all too easy to dwell on what went wrong, but putting your energy into coming up with solutions will help you feel like you’re moving forward. Be proactive!

Taking action helps boost your confidence and self-esteem and makes everything feel  that bit less daunting.

Manage your stress

Recognise the stress you are feeling in light of the failure. Then, try to incorporate mindfulness techniques into your daily life, such as deep breathing, yoga or meditation to help you keep on an emotional even keel.

Even going for a walk in the sunshine can help you to stay centred and feel more energised.

Reach out to your support network

This is the time for your positive and encouraging friends, colleagues and mentors to help you.

They can offer guidance, insights and reassurance as you work through your setbacks – and they can help you celebrate along the way too!

Redefining failure

Don’t let setbacks derail your success or define you. Failure is not the end of the road but rather define it as:  an important part of your leadership experience.

Obstacles and challenges have certainly helped me to grow throughout my career – and still do, if I’m honest.

It’s the difficulties along the way that have helped me develop the resilience to bounce back stronger than before.

If you’d like help to step into being a more resilient and empowered leader, do reach out.

My Next Level Leadership Transformation Coaching Programme is designed to support female leaders like you in overcoming your challenges and enhance your leadership presence, effectiveness and impact.

Don't let your setbacks hold you back from greatness!

Jackie