They should have seen this coming.
If they had taken action when we raised the issue, we could have avoided this.
It’s their lack of inaction that got us here.
These are all the thoughts in the head of my client and ones I, myself, have thought before related to the leaders above and how they have handled the current crisis. Are they true? Well, it’s entirely possible. And yet, at the same time, entirely subjective and dependent on enough factors that it’s hard to say. All we know now, is whatever decision and action they did or did not take hasn’t prevented something uncomfortable to happen. But guess what? Discomfort and business go hand in hand. The problem with replaying these thoughts over and over in your mind is that it doesn’t help you one bit. It only leaves you with an overwhelming sense of frustration and resentment, preventing your ability to lead from your full capacity.
Clearly the business has hit a pain point, so what is the opportunity for you and your development as well as those around you? Hint: it’s not standing in line to say “I told you so”. Leading through these pain points is where you develop the most as a leader. Not just from your own mental resilience, but learning to get really curious about everything that’s in front of you, investing in time to think and innovate with others, tapping into your wisdom to solve problems, and making decisions from a place of clear-headed focus.
That starts with developing an understanding for others so you can see decisions and actions from a discerning point of view instead of a judgmental one. What do I mean by that? For example, say your company was manufacturing a product where several defects were found. The leaders had to choose between pushing forward anyway, hoping that the defects remained minor or starting over to get everything right. Both had major financial implications. The leadership team took the gamble to move forward despite the defects and unfortunately, it didn’t pan out. The product wasn’t suitable to sell in the end and they had to start all over. Judgment is criticizing the leaders, the decision and the product as bad. It’s information. Discernment is taking what happened and turning it into wisdom.
Questions to ask yourself:
What knowledge can you gain from this situation so the payoff in future is greater than the pain today?
How might you grow in order to move through this with a greater sense of peace and calm?
What action does this inspire you to take as a result?
Maybe you gained an awareness of what it looks like to make decisions from a hijacked mind or greater appreciation of long term decision-making. Maybe it’s pushing you to increase your comfort zone as it pertains to leading through uncertainty and disruptive change. Maybe it’s even a push for you to be more vocal, invest in more thinking time, and ask more questions of those around you to understand perspectives beyond your own. All of these are gifts that can be created despite a decision gone wrong.
So the next time you find yourself spinning in frustration with the decisions or failures of the leaders above you, consider these points to help you move away from criticism and into wisdom and action.