No one relishes the sting of failure. Besides the personal toll, failures cost money, jeopardize jobs, and destroy reputations in the corporate world. Yet many successful people value their biggest challenges as essential checkpoints on the road to success. Among them are Abraham Lincoln, who lost two bids for minor office before winning the presidency and Bill Gates, who was a college dropout before he founded Microsoft.
A workplace challenge is the perfect time to pull together, find innovative solutions, and reinvent yourself. Apply these four ideas to catalyze adversity into opportunity.
Reflection is Essential
When things go wrong, it is not enough to dust yourself off and declare that everything was for the best. If a challenge forces you to revise your plans, pause to reflect on the whys. For example, why did no one anticipate the situation and why did it have such a significant impact?
Takeaway: When you understand the anatomy of the problem, you can cure the symptoms and put in place a blueprint to prevent a recurrence.
Work at Problem Solving
It can be exhausting when every workday seems like an unending series of challenges. But that is the essence of leadership – your team looks to you to be the problem solver and there is no way around it. Instead of looking at daily challenges as irritations that come between your work and you, appreciate that your insight and direction is the glue that holds the operation together.
Takeaway: Your propensity to find solutions is a good thing. Embrace it.
Ears Open
An essential quality of a good leader is the art of listening. Listening is especially important in challenging times because revolutionary ideas often come from unorthodox sources. Look beyond your inner circle, solicit thoughts from different departments, and keep your ears peeled for ideas during everyday conversations. When the regular has not worked, asymmetrical ideas be may the way through.
Takeaway: Use the opportunity to completely rethink creativity at your company.
Challenges Can Be Your Friends
Not every challenge is a recipe for disaster. Many times, it is an indication that there is a better alternative. Take Twitter, for instance, which was moderately successful when it started off as a podcasting service. However, it recognized the writing on the wall when tech behemoth Apple jumped into the fray. Their subsequent pivot to microblogging created one of the most recognizable tech brands in the world today.
Takeaway: When your plan meets with excessive resistance, it is the Universe trying to give you a sign. Heed it.
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