What are the skills strategic leaders need to learn from failure and success?

Get humbled! We have way too many people in leadership roles who think as long as they now are equipped with the language of “learning from their mistakes”, they don’t ever need to be humbled or held accountable either. Some people assume they are still the smartest person in the room after too many mistakes. If you can’t check your ego, you aren’t really growing.

As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Far better it is to dare mighty things than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." Growth unfolds in the messy, unscripted moments, where setbacks become our greatest teachers. It's a journey of twists and turns, not a linear path but a dynamic evolution. To embrace growth authentically is to dance on the edge of the unknown, unafraid of the occasional misstep, for it is in those moments that we find the true rhythm of our resilience and the wings of our potential. Success is a shared victory, and collective achievements become a source of inspiration for greater endeavour's. Celebrate wins together

At its core, the growth mindset comprises, in my experience, of being comfortable with 4 attributes of professional life (probably personal too): 1) Objectivity The ability to see situations, data and facts for what they represent rather than how they can fit into our agenda. Recognising the issues and gaps and acting on them. 2) Vulnerability The ability to speak and act without second guessing or trying to protect against potential downsides. Being authentic. Seeking help when necessary. 3) Evolution Never settling for the status quo, even if it's a great place of revenue and profitability. Always seeking improvement and innovation. 4) Motivation Having a clear North start to move the organization towards. Inspire others.

Embracing a growth mindset means seeing every challenge, success, or failure as an opportunity to improve and grow. Leaders with this mindset view setbacks not as permanent roadblocks but as valuable lessons that enhance their capabilities. This approach encourages resilience, continuous learning, and an openness to feedback, which ultimately drives long-term success.

From a strategic leadership perspective, analysing root causes touches many dimensions, internal and external to the leader. Internally: 1) Self-awareness and honest introspection - not amplifying success beyond its scope, and defending or denying failure 2) Objectivity - seeing the facts and data for what they represent rather than as a threat (in failure) or leverage (in success), and connecting the dots to business strategy, priorities and outcomes for meaningful next steps Externally: 1) Structure and process - to instill root cause analysis as a consistent practice within the org 2) Psychological safety - creating an environment where failure is valued for learning, and speaking up is valued for openness and transparency

To learn effectively, strategic leaders must dive deep into the root causes of both success and failure. This involves asking critical questions about what worked, what didn’t, and why. By identifying underlying factors, leaders can avoid repeating mistakes and replicate successes, ensuring continuous improvement and informed decision-making.

Far too often it is the failures that get all the attention. When it comes to understanding root causes, it is the root cause of the failure that everyone wants to understand. This makes sense as no one wants to repeat a failure, but conversely, doesn't everyone want to repeat the successes? Leaders need to spend more time analyzing the successes to understand what went right so that they can replicate it and experience the success again. We often celebrate the success and then hope it happens again. That is not strategic leadership, that is wishful thinking.

Strategic leaders need the skills of resilience and adaptability to learn from both failure and success. They must employ 🧐 critical thinking to analyze root causes, 🕵️♀️ investigate the context, and 📈 identify patterns. Success teaches them to reinforce effective strategies, while failure offers lessons in humility and the need for 🔄 change. These leaders should possess a 🤔 reflective mindset, continuously evolving and integrating insights to make informed decisions. 🌱

In the modern business environment, especially, where time to market is a critical, unrelenting factor, 3 attributes are very important: 1) Fail Fast, Learn Fast Setup dojos, labs, sandboxes for teams to safely experiment quickly and gather data to support fast, effective decision making 2) Enterprise Agility and Micro-projects Break large, complex initiatives down as much as possible to enable business-relevant execution - quickly delivering increments of strategic business goals 3) Continuous motivation Celebrate every small win that fail-fast and agility bring to the business. Provide visibility, recognition, reward and growth to stimulate creativity and commitment.

Strategic leaders should approach challenges with an experimental mindset, continuously testing ideas, gathering insights, and refining strategies based on real-world results. This iterative process allows them to adapt quickly, take calculated risks, and pivot when needed. By fostering a culture of experimentation, leaders not only accelerate learning but also encourage innovation and resilience within their teams.

Experimenting, learning, then iterating is essential in a culture of innovation. Innovating involves taking risks. The quickest way to minimize a risk is to learn about it through experimenting, learning, and iterating. If a strategic leader understands this, they can look at a risky idea, break out what makes the idea risky and then focus their learnings on the risk. This helps minimizes the risk by providing a deeper understanding of the risk itself and it helps the strategic leader evaluate the idea quickly.

Experimentar não significa ser uma pessoa de modinhas passageiras. A Experimentação na visão de um Líder deve vir de um criterioso estudo de alternativas, possibilidades e métodos disponíveis (como em uma caixa de ferramentas) onde, a partir daí, ele passa a selecionar alguns elementos de testes com base em uma Estratégia Prévia que não pode ser tratada, naquele momento, a partir de uma abordagem tradicional ou histórica dentro do assunto. Outro ponto importante que o Líder deve levar em consideração é o registro constantes de resultados obtidos através das Experimentações par que sirvam como parâmetros para escolher ou refutar determinada "ferramenta".

Strategic leaders must ensure that lessons from both failure and success are shared broadly within their organization. By openly communicating best practices and key takeaways, they enable others to learn and improve. Leveraging these insights for future strategies ensures continuous growth and fosters a culture of learning that benefits everyone.

In my experience, transparent communication of achievements and setbacks builds a cohesive team and promotes agility and forward-thinking. Mastering anticipation, interpretation, and learning skills is crucial for building organisational resilience amidst unpredictability. Emphasising the importance of learning from setbacks nurtures a culture of trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to overcome obstacles and achieve collective goals.

The importance of this "soft aspect" of leadership can never be overstated. This is a leadership "personality trait" that needs to be lived, role modelled and over-communicated. Resilience as the ability to absorb and rebound from failure and setbacks. Optimism as the "never say die" attitude to progress and growth. Cascading across and into the org using strong support systems, a "safe environment" and reinforcement of these values by recognition and reward will ensure they become part of the culture

Resilience and optimism indeed form the foundation of effective strategic leadership. In navigating complex challenges, these qualities enable leaders to embrace setbacks as learning opportunities and to approach successes with humility. By fostering resilience, leaders cultivate adaptability within teams, encouraging a proactive, growth-oriented mindset. Optimism fuels forward momentum, creating an environment where individuals feel inspired and motivated. Together, resilience and optimism transform adversity into progress and build a supportive culture that not only withstands change but thrives because of it.

Embracing both resilience and optimism is crucial for strategic leaders navigating the unpredictable waters of success and failure. This dual approach not only equips me to effectively handle stress and intensity but also ensures I maintain a forward-looking perspective, even in the face of uncertainty. Growing these competencies has been key to not just overcoming setbacks but transforming them into stepping stones for growth. Moreover, resilience and optimism are magnetic; they enable me to uplift and energize my team, fostering a workplace culture rooted in positivity and support. This mindset is fundamental in turning challenges into opportunities and failures into lessons, steering us towards our common goals.

Strategic leaders can benefit greatly from cultivating resilience and optimism, especially when navigating setbacks or uncertainty. These traits help them stay focused and bounce back quickly from challenges while maintaining a positive outlook. By modeling resilience and optimism, leaders inspire their teams to persevere and foster a work environment that thrives on support and positivity.

In my experience, learning is a continuous process. Failures in the organisation at a strategic level comes with an accountability and responsibility. Yet as a Strategic Leader the most important thing is to have a resilient material mindset and one must be Futurist. I always follow a model of PESTLE to understand the dynamics of business and current trends to keep up with the pace and create competitive advantage in the industry.

Plunging in to mindset of Strategic leaders 1. Self-reflection & Emotional intelligence: Managing reactions to setbacks and triumphs constructively. 2. Systems thinking: Understanding how various factors interconnect and influence outcomes. 3. Determining the message from the emotional noise in communications & performing risk assessment 4. Perform Root cause analysis & restate the problem 5. Leverage Critical Thinking & Lateral Thinking 6. Pattern recognition: Identifying trends and commonalities across different situations. 7. Scenario planning: Anticipating potential outcomes and preparing accordingly. 8. Acknowledging limitations and areas for improvement. Useful? Click Like!

Open mindedness - let go the ego of a Leader, and be open to new ideas to problems. Especially for someone who has worked in one environment or industry for long period, it is natural for them to run out of fresh ideas. To overcome this, seek input from peers, engage in open conversations, and be willing to listen to different perspectives. This approach will help you make informed decisions and find innovative solutions.