FailingForward

WilliamPullen17January2018

AdversityisafactoflifeandleaderswhoaremoreresilienthaveabetterchanceofrecoveringfromitbylearninghowtoFailForward.Adversitydevelopswhentransienteventsorlonger-termconditionschangethefitbetweenanindividualandtheirenvironment.Whenfitislost,thepossibilityofderailingdevelops;theupwardprogressionofaprofessionalcareerishalted.Itmaybecomeaplateauoradescentanddeparturefromtheorganization.Thecharacteristicthatbestexplainswhyderailingoccursisalackofself-awarenessthatimpairsaleader’sabilitytorecalibratetheirfitwiththeirrole.Researchsuggeststhatapproximately30%to50%ofhigh-potentialleadersderailatsometimeduringtheircareer.Derailingisatraumaticeventbutrecoveryispossibleandthepaperconcludeswithsomeideasabouthowtodoitandrecoverfromthetraumaassociatedwithit.

TableofContentsIntroduction................................................................................................................................................3Context:TheArcofaCareer........................................................................................................................3PartA:AdversityandResilience..................................................................................................................5TheAdversitySpectrum.......................................................................................................................................5ALeader’sResponse............................................................................................................................................5TheResilientLeader.............................................................................................................................................5LeadershipConcerns............................................................................................................................................6WhentoRespond.................................................................................................................................................7

ImmediateResponsetoSetbacks:FindandFixtheRootCause......................................................................7MaintainMomentumandPushThroughAdverseConditions.........................................................................8

LeadingduringSetbacksandAdverseConditions................................................................................................8LeadershipPresence........................................................................................................................................9ALeader’sPersonalActions...........................................................................................................................10

ConcludingThoughts..........................................................................................................................................11PartB:Fit..................................................................................................................................................12TheIdeaofFit.....................................................................................................................................................12TalentManagement&Fit..................................................................................................................................12FitChanges.........................................................................................................................................................13Fit&Performance..............................................................................................................................................13ConcludingThoughts..........................................................................................................................................13PartC:Derailing........................................................................................................................................15DerailingHappens..............................................................................................................................................15CareerThemesLeadingtoDerailing..................................................................................................................15CareerProgressionandDerailing.......................................................................................................................15WhatCausesDerailment?..................................................................................................................................16DerailingisPreventable.....................................................................................................................................16ConcludingThoughts..........................................................................................................................................17PartD:RecoveryfromtheTraumaofDerailing..........................................................................................18DerailingasMoralInjury....................................................................................................................................18RecoveryfromTrauma.......................................................................................................................................19Phase1–FindingSafety&Stability...................................................................................................................19Phase2–MakingSenseoftheExperience,Findinganewnormal...................................................................20Phase3–Reconnection,RepairandIntegration...............................................................................................20GoodRecoveryPractice.....................................................................................................................................21Whentoseekprofessionalhelp.........................................................................................................................22ManageyourNarrative......................................................................................................................................22ConcludingThoughts..........................................................................................................................................22EndNotes..................................................................................................................................................23

Failing Forward

Introduction

Seniorpublicservantsinleadershiprolesaretypicallyat,orbeyond,themid-pointoftheircareer.Theyhavearrivedatthispointbecauseofdemonstratedprofessionalortechnicalproficiencyand,usually,significantsupervisoryormanagerialexperience.TomangleaphraseusedbyWarrenBennis,theyhavelearnedhowtodothingsright,andarenowchallengedtodotherightthing.Inaperfectworld,acareerunfoldsasasmoothuninterruptedprogressionofsuccessfulexperiencesatincreasinglygreaterlevelsofresponsibilityuntilleadersreachanapexandtransitiontoadifferentwayoflife.But,thisisatrajectorythatrarelyhappens.Instead,acareerismorelikeaseriesofKnightsmovesinChess-azig-zagpatternofdifferentexperiencesthatcarryaleaderupward.Itisafactthatadverseeventsoccurineverycareerandtheyalteritstrajectory.Thezigmaybeapromotiontoanewroleandthezagmaybeamovetoadifferentfield.Andoftenaneventoccursoraconditiondevelopsthatinterruptsthispattern.Thispaperoffersthoughtsonthenatureofadversityanditsconsequenceswiththeideaofhelpingleaderstounderstandtheexperienceasalearningopportunity.ThechancesoffuturecareersuccesscanbeimprovedbylearninghowtoFailForward.

Context:TheArcofaCareer

Adversityoccurswithinthecontextofacareeranditwouldbeusefultohaveawaytodescribethearcanditstrajectory.Considerthediagrambelow:

Careersarenotdestinations,butratherjourneyswithapast,apresentandafuture.Theyareanarcofaperson’slifeline.Thejourneyispunctuatedbyevents,somegoodandsomebad,thatofferlessonsonhowtodothingsright,ordotherightthing.Thesearemarkerevents-theorangeshapesalongtheredcareerarcinthediagramabove.

Overtime,thearcbecomesaleader’strackrecordthatdescribesthebreadthanddepthoftheirexperience,includingsuccessesorfailures.Itextendsintothepresentwherealeaderisdefinedbyreputation,basedinpartontheirtrackrecord,butalsoontheircharacterandleadershippresenceasitisperceivedbythosewhoworkwiththem.Itextendsintothefutureasaleadershipbrand–theimplicitpotentialvaluethataleaderofferstobringtoanewsituation,whichmaybeamovementupwardorlaterally.Adversityoccursfromcircumstanceorthroughneglecteddevelopment.Anadverseeventmayappearsuddenlythatoff-balancesandsetsaleaderontheirbackfoot.Or,theymayfindtheycannotrespondsuccessfullywithwhattheyhaveintheirtoolbox,orbecausetheirenergyisdepletedandtheylackthewillpowertopersevere.ThenatureofadversityandresilienceisdiscussedinPartAAsobstaclesordifficultsituationsdevelop,aleadermayrealizethatwhattheyhaveintheirleadershiprepertoiremaybeinsufficientforthesituationtheyarein.InthewordsofMarshallGoldsmith,“whatgotyouhere,won’tgetyouthere.1”Whenthishappens,the‘fit’betweenanindividualandtheroletheyperformdeteriorates.Thenatureoffitandhowitismaintained(orlost)isdiscussedinPartB.Iffitislost,andperhapshavingignoredoravoidedopportunitiesforpersonaldevelopment,leadersmayfindthemselvesatalossastohowtorespondsuccessfully.Nothingseemstoworkforthem.Inthesesituations,derailingoccurs.ThisphenomenonwillbediscussedmorefullyinPartC.RecoveryfromthetraumaofderailingisdiscussedinPartD.

Part A: Adversity and Resilience Resilienceistheabilitytorecoverfromadversity.Itisapersonalabilitytodealwellwithdailyspeedbumpsaswellaslife-changingevents.ThispartofFailingForwardtalksaboutadversity,theprecursorsituationthatformsthecontextforresilience.Itlooksatitthroughtwolenses:theleaderasaresilientindividualdealingwithadversityandtheleaderofanorganizationcopingwithit.

TheAdversitySpectrum

Thetermadversitycoversarangeofsituationsacrossaspectrum.Therearetemporarysetbacks,adverseconditionsandchronicsuffering.Eachdemandsomethingslightlydifferentfromaleader2.Asetbackisasingleeventorspecificseriesofeventsthatimpedesforwardprogress,eitherasapersonoranorganization.Setbacksareusuallyone-time,one-of-a-kindoccurrences.Notmakingtheshort-listforapromotion,thedepartureofakeymemberofyourmanagementteam,orasuddenchangeinprogramfundingwouldallbesetbacks.Theshockofanegativeeventhasnotdefeatedyou,buttheyhavecausedyoutopullbackandregroup.Ratherthanadistinctoccurrence,anadverseconditionisacontinuousunfavourablesituationthatismuchhardertoworkthrough.Workingwithabadbossforanylengthoftimecancreateaseriousadversecondition.Poorrelationshipswith,say,theMinister’sofficeorakeystakeholder,maymakesustainedprogresspainful.Long-standinginternalconflictcancausemoraletodeclineandmomentumcanbelost.Seriousadverseconditionscantraumatiseindividualsandleadtoorganizationalfailure.Adverseconditionscanbecomechronic.Long-standingadversityissufferingandcancausepermanentdistressandimposespiritual,emotional,mentalandphysicalharmthatcausessignificantpersonaltrauma.Sufferingmarkspeopleandrecoveryfromitisalongandpainfulprocess.

ALeader’sResponse

Asyoumightexpect,setbacksandadverseconditionsrequiredifferentresponsesfromleaders.Asetbackoftenneedsaquickandspecificresponse.It’sasifsomethingsuddenlyappearedinyourpath.Youstopandfindanotherwaytogetwhereyouwanttogo.Ifthesetbackissignificant,itmaytakesomeconcertedeffortandskilltokeeptheorganizationontrackandmovingbeyondwhateverhashappened.Theeffectsofsetbacks,however,arelimitedintime:onceyou’vedealtwiththem,youcanmoveon.Adversityismorelikealongdriveinbadwinterweather:you’llneedastronghandonthewheelandasteadyfocusontheroad,thetraffic,andtheroad’sconditionuntilthejourneyisover.Yourconcentrationisongettingeveryonesafelytotheendofthejourney.That’swhatleadersdo:keepthingsmovingsteadilyforwardthroughdifficultyandbringtherestoftheorganizationalong3.

TheResilientLeader

Leaderswhorecoverquicklyfrompersonalorprofessionaldifficultiestypicallyarewellgrounded.Thatis,theyhaveastrongsenseofwhotheyare,comfortwithwhatthatmeans,andconfidenceintheirabilityto

exertinfluenceoneventsevenifitisonlyminor.Theyhaveawell-formedidentityandseeeventsincontext.Theyarelevel-headedandusepatience,tolerance,andhumourtodealwithadversity4.Resilientleadersareaction-orientedandknowthevalueofmomentumtowardtheirgoalsevenifitisonlythesmallestofsteps.Theydon’tgetstuck.Theyusetheirpriorexperienceindealingwithdifficultiestoconfrontacurrentchallenge.Theyareadaptableandcanconvertlessonsfromthepastintoeffectiveresponsestothepresent.Resilientleadersareglasshalf-fullpeople.Unlikepessimistswhoseenegativeeventsaspersonal,pervasiveandpermanent,resilientleadersseethemastransient,specific,andimpersonal.Theyexplainthingsinapositivewayandaddenergytothesituation.Theyhavearealisticandwell-foundedfaithintheirabilitytodealwiththings.Theyarealsowell-connected.Theyhaveanetworkofstrongrelationshipstodrawonthatcanhelpthemreboundandrecover.Aboveall,resilientleadersknowthemselves.Theyareawareoftheirstrengthsandweaknessesandknowtheirblindspotsandover-donestrengths.Muchofthisinsightishard-wonfromearlierexperiencesthatperhapsdidnotgosowell.Theylearnedwhateverlessonwastobelearnedfromitandhaveaddedtotheirrepertoire.

LeadershipConcerns

Althoughitmayseemthatnearlyeverydaycontainssetbacksandthatadversityhasbecomethenew“normal,”therearesomeimportantreasonswhyaleaderneedstoconfronttheseeventsandconditions.• MaintainMomentum:Setbacksandadversity,ifthey’renothandledproperly,canstopanindividualand

organizationfrommovingforward,andeventhrowitintoreverse.Regardlessofhowdifficultlifemaybeatagiventime,individualsandorganizationsmustkeepmovingtowardtheirgoals;thepersonalcommitmenttoagoalmustbesustained.Thetimeandeffortneededtore-startastalledorganizationcanbecostlyandrequireresourcesthatmaynotalwaysbeavailable.

• AvoidDespair:Whenbadthingshappen,itaffectsattitudes.Peopleexplainsetbacksinwaysthatcanbe

drainingandinvitedespair.TheattitudecanquicklyspreadtoothersandageneralmalaisesetsinasDoomLoopsbecomethedominantconversationalstyle.Productivitydeclinesandmomentumislost.Leadersneedtofindwaystoconvincepeoplethat“thistooshallpass”andthatthereislightattheendofthetunnel.

• SustainMorale:Itisnotenoughtopreventdespair.Iftheorganizationortheteamistocontinuetodo

goodworkthenpeoplemustretaintheirinterestandsustaintheircommitmenttothemission.Aleadercansetthetonebydemonstratingtheirownpassionfortheworkandbyencouragingeveryonetodotheirbest,despiteanydifficultiesthatmightappear.

• MaintainPublicConfidence:Forapublicorganization,ataprootrequirementisthatthepublic(clients,

partnersandstakeholders)continuetobelieveinwhattheorganizationdoes.Respondingwelltosetbacksoradversityhelpsmaintaincredibilityintwoways.First,bymaintainingahighstandardofperformanceitconfirmsthatyouareaneffectiveorganization.Second,ifthepublicisawareofchallenges,asuccessfulresponsedemonstratescompetence,commitmentandresolution.

• HelptheOrganizationLearn:Setbacksandadversityoftenpresentthebestopportunitiesforlearning.Whenyou’verunintotrouble,whetherthroughyourowndoingorbecauseofoutsideforces,you’velearnedsomethingvaluable,andcanusuallyfigureouthowtoavoidthattroubleinthefuture.Findingawayoutofyourpresenttroublealsoleadstolessonslearnedthatwillstrengthenyourorganizationoverthelongterm.

• LearnandGrowasaLeader:Setbacksandadversityareimportantpartsofthecruciblethathelpsto

formandtransformleaders5.Eachtimeyouhavetodealwithdifficulties,yougainnewknowledgeandnewskills,personalaswellasprofessional.Beingtestedinthiswayishowgoodleadersbecomegreatleaders.

• MaintainanOrganization’sFaithinitsLeadership:Setbacksandadversityarewheretrueleadership

showsitself.Ifyoucanhandleadifficultsituationorconditionandkeepthingsonanevenkeel,yourorganizationwillbemorelikelytofollowyouanywhere.Ifyoufallapartwhenthingsdon’tgosmoothly,you’llhavemuchlesscredibilityasaleaderinthefuture.

• MaintaintheFocusontheMission:Thepurposeofyourorganizationistoservethepublicinwhatever

waylegislationorpolicyrequires.Whenfacedwithsetbacksoradversity,it’svitaltonotbecomedistractedbymisfortunebuttocontinuetopursueyourvisionfortheorganizationandthemissionthathasbeengiventoit.

WhentoRespond

Whenshouldaleaderworktoovercomesetbacksandadverseconditions?Thequestionhereisoneoftime,ratherthantiming.Setbacksandadverseconditionseachrequireadifferentkindoftimesensefromaleader.

ImmediateResponsetoSetbacks:FindandFixtheRootCause

Inthecaseofasetback,actiontorecovershouldusuallybeimmediate,andgearedspecificallytoremovingtheobstacleorreversingthesituation,whateveritis.Whatcanyoudototurnthingsaroundandfindyourselfinthepositivecolumnagain?Ifsomethingyou’veworkedforsimplyisn’tgoingtohappen,youshouldfindanewgoalthat’srelatedtotheonethatjustgotaway.Usewhatyou’vejustlearnedinthecurrentsituationtomakesureyoureachit.Whenthesituationisreversible,quicklytrytoturnitaround.Ifanevaluationrevealsthatyourapproachisn’tworking,determinewhat’satfault–findtherootcause:theapproachitself,thewayyou’reimplementingit,culturaldifferencesbetweenstaffandparticipants,etc.–andfixitasquicklyaspossible.Thatmaymeananythingfromaminorchangeinmethodtoacompleteoverhaulofaprogram.Whateveritentails,itusuallyneedstobedoneassoonaspossible,beforeineffectivenesscausesitpermanentdamage.Ifyouactquicklyanddecisivelyenough,youcanturnasetbackintoavictory.Attheveryleast,youcankeepitfromparalyzingyourorganizationandseriouslyharmingyourstrategicinterests.

MaintainMomentumandPushThroughAdverseConditions

Withadverseconditions,youractionmaybelongertermandongoing.You’reworkingtoovercomenotasingleevent,butasetofconditions:itmaytakeawhile,andcallforvariouskindsandlevelsofaction.Theimportantfactorhereisperseverance–youmustkeepatituntilthingsgetbetter.Sometimesanadversesituationcancallforquickactiontokeepitfromgettingworse,butgenerallyitrequiressteadinessandacommitmenttomovingforwardregardlessofthedifficulty.Sometimes,thereareobviouswaystoforgeahead:makingcuts,reducingservicelevels,etc.Byfocusingonoperations,youmayfindwaystochangetheadverseconditionsyouareexperiencing.Slowandsteadygenerallywinstheracehere.Youractionsasaleaderdon’thavetobequickorflashy–unlessthesituationcallsforit,asitmightinthecaseofanemergency,buttheydohavetokeeptheorganizationmovingtowarditslong-termgoalsandthegoalofovercomingitsadversecircumstances.Sometimes,ontheotherhand,eveninthecaseofasetback,thebestcourseistotakethetimeyouneedtounderstandthesituationbeforeyoutakespecificactiontocounterit.It’simportanttoactbutitdoesn’tnecessarilyhavetobedirectlyrelatedtoresolvingtheimmediateproblemtohaveapositiveeffectontheorganization.Delayingtoolongisn’tagoodidea,buttakingenoughtimetoensurethatyou’regoingintherightdirectionmightbe,ifthecircumstancescallforit.Ifyoudon’tquiteknowyetwhatthebestcourseofactionis,itmaybewisetostepbackandanalyzeyouroptionsbeforeyoucommityourself.

LeadingduringSetbacksandAdverseConditions

Asaleader,youhavespecialresponsibilitiesindifficulttimes.Nomatterwhatstyleofleaderyouare–even,orperhapsespecially,ifyou’rehighlycollaborative–peoplewilllooktoyoutoseehowtheyshouldreacttothesituation,andtofindoutwhattodo.They’llexpectyoutohavesomeideas,andtoguidethemthroughwhatmaybeanunsettlingorevenfrighteningperiod.Ifyoufallapart,ormakeitclearyouhavenoideawhattodo,theorganizationcaneasilyfallintodespairorworse,yourcredibilitywillbedamagedandyourreputationasaleaderwillerode,perhapsnevertoreturn.Intheworstcase,yourcredibilityisdestroyedandyourlegitimacycollapses.Recoveryfromthisconditionisnearlyimpossible.Ontheotherhand,ifyouapproachsetbacksandadverseconditionsasopportunitiesforgrowth,youcankeepyourorganizationstableandyoucanalsomoveitforward.Evenifyoumakemistakes–perhapsespeciallyifyoudo–theexperiencecanleadtoagreaterunderstandingofyoursituationandyourwork,andhelptoadvancetheorganization.Evenifitisnotacrisis,anysetbackoradversesituationpresentsbothdangerandopportunity.Ifyoukeepopportunityintheforeground,thechancesaregoodthatyou’lleasilyovercomeorskirtthedangerbymovingtheorganizationtoanotherlevel.Althoughsetbacksandadverseconditionsmaycallforslightlydifferentapproaches,therearesomegeneralleadershipguidelinesthatmaybeusefulforboth.Thefirstsectionreferstohowaleadershouldpresentthemselvesandbehaveindifficultcircumstances.Thesecondsuggestswaysinwhichtheymightchangethesituation.

LeadershipPresence

• MovetotheCentre:Whenthingsgosouth,peoplelooktoleadersformeaningandintentions.Asaleader,youwanttomovetothecenterofthesocialmassinyourorganization,theplacewhereinformalnetworksintersect,andbecomearallyingpointfortheorganization.Withskill,youcanconverttherallyingpointtoapivotandrefocustheorganizationtomovearoundthesetbackorredirectitthroughtheadversecondition.

• StayCalm:It’sessentialthatyoumaintainacalmandconfidentmanner,nomatterhowdifficultorbleak

thesituationmayseem.Everyoneelsewillkeyonyou:ifyouareatthecenterandstaycalmandappearincontrol,therestoftheorganizationwillaswell.Ifyoupanicorseemharried,therestoftheorganizationwillimitatethattoo.Thenyou’llhavetwoadversesituationstodealwith:theoriginalone,andthemoodofpanicintheorganization.

Theotherobviousreasonforstayingcalmisthatitwillallowyoutoassessthesituationanddecidewhattodoaboutit.Ifyou'repanickingorthrownoffbytheseriousnessofwhateveryoumustcopewith,you’renotlikelyabletothinkclearlyandmakegooddecisions.Thisadviceworksforsetbacksandadverseconditions.Inthecaseofasetback,panic,whileitmightbeappropriate,willdisruptimportantwork,causeemployeestoloseheart,andmakeitthatmuchmoredifficulttoreverse,manage,orpreventwhateverdamagetheoriginaleventmightcause.Inalong-termadversesituation,calmnessaleader’scalmpresencegivesconfidencethatsomeone’sincontrolandknowshowtogetthroughthedifficulty.

• Communicate:Leteveryoneknowexactlywhat’sgoingon,andkeeptheminformedasthesituation

develops.Ifyoudon’t,gossipandrumourswilltaketheplaceofrealinformation,andpanicmaysetin.Thestoriesthatpeoplemakeupaboutcrisesareusuallyworsethanthereality.Evenifthey’renot,notknowingwhat’sgoingonisgenerallyfarmorefrighteningthanknowingthetruth,evenwhenthetruthisunpleasant.

• TakeAction-Dosomething–it’scrucialthatpeopleseethatsomeoneistakingchargeandaddressingthesituation.Whenyourorganizationhasjustexperiencedasetback,it’simportanttoestablishthefactthatbothyou,asaleader,andtheorganizationwillbeactive–youwon’twaitforsomethingpositivetohappen,you’llmakesomethingpositivehappentooffsettheblowyou’vejustreceived.Whateverstepsyoutake,takethemassoonaspossiblebecauseit’simportantthatbothyouandtheorganizationchooseyourcourseandfollowit,ratherthanlettingeventsorexternalforceschooseitforyou.

• FindandFixtheRootCause:Wereyouortheorganizationresponsibleforthesituation?Ifyouare,thenthat’syourresponsibility.Ifyourprogramprovedineffective,that’stheorganization’sresponsibility.Whateverthecase,youmustbefearlesslyhonestinassessingthesituation,sothatyoucanunderstandhowtofixthingsand,moreimportantly,learnhownottoallowittohappenagain.

• DevelopaPlan:Thisplanshouldcoverthewholeorganization,evenifthesetbackoradverse

circumstancesonlyaffectpartofit,andshouldincludeawaytokeepthecurrentsituationfromrecurring.Ifit’scausedbysomethingbeyondyourcontrol,lookforawaytotakeovercontrolofthatarea.

• InvolveEveryone:Involvingeveryoneintherecoveryplanningprocesswillengagemoretalentand

producebetterideas.Ifemployeesareengagedthey’lltakeownershipoftheplanandworkhardto

makeitsucceed.Moreimportant,peoplefeelagreatdeallesshelplesswhentheycanbepartofthesolutiontoaproblem.

• AskforHelp:Ifthereisn’ttheexpertiseorknowledgewithintheorganizationtoaddressthesituation,

thereareothersouttherewhocanhelp.Thisiswheretherealvalueofaprofessionalnetworkbecomesevident.Chancesare,somebodyhashadasimilarexperienceanddrawingontheirexpertisewillprovidefreshinsightaswellaspossiblygeneratingmoresupportforyourefforts.

• EmphasizeMovingForward:Anyorganization,whetherit’sstrugglingorhighlysuccessful,mustkeep

developingandstrivingtoimproveifit’stobecomeorremaineffective.Youmayhavebeenpushedback,oryoumaybestalledbyadversecircumstances,butyourmomentumshouldalwaysbeforward,ratherthanjusttoretainorregainground.Everyoneintheorganizationshouldbeconcentratingonthefutureandonmovingahead,aswellasoncopingwithcurrenttroubles.Thatwillbothkeepeveryonefocusedontheorganization’srealgoal–fulfillingitsmission–andputitinabetterpositiontoovercomepresentproblemsandpreventfutureones.

ALeader’sPersonalActions

• FindtheWin:Keepthingsupbeatandfocusedonwhat’sgoingright,notwhat’sgoingwrong.Youcan’tignoretheproblemorthedifficultsituation,butitisnotallthatishappening.Emphasizingthepositivewillstrengthenmoraleandkeeptheorganizationheadingintherightdirection.Buildonstrengths,ratherthanexpendingenergytryingtocorrectweaknesses.

• SharetheBurden:Effectiveleadersensuretheyliveunderthesameconditionsastheirpeople,to

emphasizethatthey’reallinittogether,andthattheywouldn’taskanyonetoendurehardshipwithoutenduringthesamehardshipthemselves.Thiskindofactionandattitudestrengthensyourcredibilityasaleader,andincreasesthededicationwithwhichstaffmembersandvolunteerswillworktoimprovethesituation.

• UsetheSituationtoStrengthentheOrganization:Nobodycandoitallbythemselves.Peoplemustwork

togetherandsupportoneanother.Youmaybeabletoincreasemoraleanddedicationtooneanotherandtheorganizationbyemphasizingthatfact.Themoreyoubackupyourwordsbyinvolvingeveryoneinfindingsolutionstoproblemsandinhelpingoneanother,themorelikelyitisthattheorganizationwillcomeouttheothersidestrongerthanbefore.

• ProvideSupport:Findwaysforpeopletotalkaboutthecurrentsituation,andtoworkthroughfeelings

offrustrationorpowerlessness.Theyneedtoknowthatyousupportthemandappreciatewhattheydo,andtheyneedtosupportoneanother,sothatnoonefeelsthatthey’retryingtocopewithatoughsituationalone.

Thatincludesyou,asaleader.Youdon’thaveto–andshouldn’t–bearthewholeweightoftheorganizationonyourshoulders.Findasourceofsupportforyourself–amentor,coachortrustedcolleague-whocanlistentoandempathizewithyourfrustrationsandexhaustion,andremindyouofwhatyou’redoingright.

• TreatitasaTeachableMoment:Whatyou’velearnedasaresultofthisevent(s)canbeavaluabletool

forthefuture.Thisisn’tthelasttimeyou’llfaceasetbackoranadversecondition.You’veusedwhatyoulearnedinthepasttoapproachthecurrentsituation,andyoucanusewhatyou’velearnedfromthisonetoaddresssituationsthatariseinthefuture.Usethesetbackasateachablemomentandensurethat

everyoneintheorganizationunderstandsthelessonsofthecurrentsituation,andrecordsitinsomewaysoitwillberememberedafteryouandothersinvolvedinithaveleft.

• KeeptheBigPictureinMind:Rememberthatthissituationisprobablyonlytemporary.Don’tallowitto

cloudyourvisionorderailyourstrategy.Asaleader,it’syourresponsibilitytokeeptheorganizationfocusedonitsmaingoals.Youcandothatbyalwayssteeringtheorganizationtowardproblem-solvingstrategiesandactionsthatareconsistentwithitslargervisionandmission,andconstantlycheckingthatanystepsyoutakeareaimedatthoseends.Ifyouweatherasetbackbyviolatingthebasicprinciplesoftheorganization,youhaven’tsucceededinovercominganobstacle.Rather,you’veletadversityshapeyourorganizationintosomethingitwasn’tmeanttobe.

• Don’tLetUp:Evenafterthesituationhaschangedforthebetter,continueworkingtoensurethatyou

don’tfallintothesamecircumstancesagain.Manyoftheguidelinesabovearejustasvaluablewhenthingsaregoingwellastheyarewhenyou’refacingsetbacksoradversity:stayingcalm,communicatingwithintheorganization,movingforward,accentuatingthepositive,beinghonestaboutmistakes,planning–thesearehighlydesirabletraitsinaleader,andhighlydesirablecharacteristicsinanorganization.

ConcludingThoughts

Therealmeasureofleaderscomeswhenthingsaren’tgoingwell.Howtheyhandlesetbacksandlonger-termadversitydeterminesbothhowgoodaleadertheyare,andhowothersviewtheirleadership.Rememberthattheeventsaredistinctandmakedifferentdemandsonleaders.Thefirstoftenrespondstoquickanddecisiveaction,thesecondtoasteadystyleofleadershipthatkeepslong-termgoalsinview.Ineithercase,leadersmustproviderealleadershipbyprojectingcalmnessandcompetence,keepingtheorganizationfocusedonthefuture,communicatingwell,providingemotionalsupport,andinvolvingpeopleinresolvingtheproblemsthathaveledtothecurrentsituation.Overcomingsetbacksandadversityrequirescontinuingeffortevenaftertheimmediatedifficultyisleftbehind,tomakesureasimilarsituationdoesn’tplacetheorganizationinjeopardyagain.

Part B: Fit Oneconsequenceofadversityisanindividualfindingthemselvesunabletoeffectivelyperformintheirrole.Somethinghashappenedthatmakesaleader’srepertoireunequaltochallengesthatpreviouslyhadbeenhandledwell.Thefitbetweenaleaderandtheirroleisdiminishedorlost.Theconceptoffitreferstoanalignmentbetweentherequirementsofaroleandsomeone’sabilitytoperformefficientlyinit.Agoodfitenhancesindividualperformance.Apoorfitdegradesit.Abadfitmayleadtoincumbentsderailingandnecessitaterecoveryordeparture.Abadfitcanadverselyaffectorganizationalperformance.ThispartofFailingForwarddealswiththeideaoffitasaforerunnertoderailingandrecovery.

TheIdeaofFit

Theconceptoffitrestsontheunderstandingthathumanbehaviourisafunctionoftheinteractionbetweenpeopleandtheenvironmentsinwhichtheyfindthemselves.6Agoodfitisevidentwhenactualhumanbehavioursleadtoexpectedresultsforperformanceofaroleoroffice7.Fitcomesindifferentforms8.• SupplementaryFit:Thisisaboutsimilarity,inthatahighdegreeofsupplementaryfitoccurswhenthe

characteristicsofonethingarelikethesamecharacteristicsofsomethingelse.Forexample,whensomeone’svaluesarelikethevaluesoftheemployerthereissupplementaryfit.Supplementaryfitincreasesorganizationalcapacity.

• ComplementaryFit:Ratherthansimilarity,acomplementaryfitisaboutoneoftheparties(the

individualortheorganization)makingtheotherwhole9.Complementaryfitlooksatwhetheronepartycansupplywhattheotherpartyneeds.Complementaryorganizationalfitincreasesorganizationalcapability.

TalentManagement&Fit

Agoodfitisoneoftheaimsoftalentmanagement.Organizationsstrivetogettherightpeoplewiththerightabilitiesintherightplacesattherighttime.Eachstageofthehumancapitalvaluechainhasaninfluenceonfit,andthetalentmanagementprocessshouldtakefitintoconsiderationateachstage.Thedesiredcharacteristicsofagoodfitaredeterminedthroughrecruitmentandselectionastheorganizationarticulatesitsneedsandsolicitsresponsesfrompeoplewhofeeltheymeetthem.Orientationandonboardingcanenhancetheprobabilityofagoodfit.TheformerisaserviceprovidedbytheHRfunctionanddealswiththemechanicsoffitsuchasthephysicalworkenvironment,organizationalstructure,policiesandprocedures,andcompensation.Onboardingtypicallyandoccursoveralongerperiodwiththeaimofimprovingthelikelihoodofanewemployee,particularlyoneatseniorlevelsorincriticaljobs,makingadurablefitwiththeroleandaconnectiontotheorganization’ssocialenvironment.Onboardingfamiliarisesanewhirewiththeorganization’snormsandvalues.Ithelpsthemfitintotheirroleandisusedtocommunicatevisionandmission,describepriorities,performanceandexpectations,andprovideanentrytotheculture.Goodonboardingensuresinclusion,alignment,motivationandcommitment.

Itisusuallydonebyseniorleaderswithstatusandstandinginthecultureand,ifdonewell,maymitigatetheriskofabadfit.Itcanalsoshortenanewhire’stime-to-effective-performance.

FitChanges

Whenthingschangeintheworld,organizationsadaptbyreconfiguringtomeetexistingaswellasnewdemands.10Recalibrationofthestructureandrebalancingofresourcesaretwoimportantleadershipchoicesthatinevitablyinvolveindividualrolesandperformanceexpectations.Bothhaveconsequencesforfit.Inaperfectworld,maintainingalong-termfitrequiressmallandincrementaladjustmentsbytheindividualandtheorganizationtoadapttheonetotheother.Itislikelythatpeoplecanforce-fitthemselvesforalimitedperiod,butthisisunlikelytobesustainableoveralongerterm.Similarly,mostjobshaveelasticdefinitionsofgoodperformanceandcancompensatefordeterioratingfituntilperformanceorbehavioursbecomeunsustainableandchangeisrequired.Knowingthelimitsofeachcanmitigateriskofmisfit.Differencesbetweennewexpectationsandpresentcapabilitiesthatarenotmanagedwellcanleadtomisfit.Inmostcases,thepersonaladjustmentsneededtomaintainfitareachievedthroughperformancefeedback.Theycanbeenhancedbycoachingandmentoring.But,situationsdevelopwheresignificantmisalignmentoccursandfitislost.Leftunmanaged,derailinghappens,andtheindividualinvolvedusuallyisplateauedorleavestheorganization.Self-awarenessandactivecommunicationmitigatetheriskofmisfit.Ifboththepersonandorganizationagreethatfitisdegrading,theycanmakeintelligentchoicesthatbenefitboth.Inadditiontonewdemandsemerging,researchsuggeststhatleadingcausesofabadfitincludealackofself-awarenessandtoonarrowanexperiencebase.Experiencednewhireswithawell-developedsenseforwhotheyarecancalibrateandadjusttheirbehavioursappropriatelyastheyadapttoanewroleandfitintoanewsituation.Iftheyhaveexperienceindifferentfunctionsororganizations,theywillhavelearnedsomehardtruthsabouthowtofindagoodfitinwhatcanbeaverycomplexsocialenvironmentandwilllikelyhavelearnedtobemoreopenandtolerantofnewideasandadaptmorequicklytodifferentcultures.

Fit&Performance

Agoodfitisanimportantelementofperformancethatenablessuccess.HRfunctionalspecialistscouldconsiderincorporatingtheideaintalentmanagementacrossthehumancapitalvaluechain,andparticularlyinrecruitmentandselection.Makingsureorientationprogramsaremeaningfulandsupportnewhiresisagoodplacetostart.Supportingseniorexecutivesinonboardingwouldbeaddedvalue.Becauseagoodfitreducestime-to-effective-performance,leadersshouldbeconcernedwithestablishinganeffectiveonboardingprocess.Theyneedtotakeanactivepersonalinterestinhownewhiresaresocializedsotheycancontributeasquicklyaspossible.Thisisimportantatseniorlevelswheretheleadershipstylesandinterpersonalskillsofnewhiresmayneedtobeadjusted.

ConcludingThoughts

Individualsjoininganeworganizationormovingtoanewroleshouldthinkseriouslyaboutfitandwhattheyneedtodotomakeitwork.Finishingthetransitionintoanewroleororganizationisessential.Rememberthatatransitionalwaysinvolvesthreethings;endingtheoldjob,minimizingturbulencebetweenjobs,and

startingthenewjob(andonlythenewjob).Fitdependsonleavingbehindanybaggagefromanoldrole,usingtheperiodbetweenjobstomentallyandemotionallyprepareforthenewone,andhavingacleanlaunchinanewjobthroughorientationandtakingadvantageofonboardingopportunities.

Part C: Derailing Thecareersofleadersarerarelystraightlinesmovingever-upwardfromsuccesstosuccess.Speedbumps,off-ramps,swervesandslipperyconditionsappear.Sometimesthisleadstoderailing,thephenomenonofaleadernotachievingexpectedpotential,becomingplateaued,orleavingajobororganization.ThispartofFailingForwardoffersthoughtsonderailingsoleaderscanunderstandbetterwhatcausesitandthinkofmitigatingitsrisk.

DerailingHappens

Derailmentisquitecommon.Theresearchinthisareasuggeststhatapproximately30%to50%ofhigh-potentialleadersandexecutivesderailatsometimeduringtheircareer11.Derailingisexperiencedbyindividualsasaslow-motiontrain-wreck.Theindividualoftensensesthatfithasbeenlost,thatsomethingisverywrongandthatitisbecomingacrisis,butforavarietyofreasonsispowerlesstounderstanditandacttochangeit.Theymaybetrappedinanoutdatedpersonaldefinitionofaroleortheymayhaveignoredwarningsignsthatachangeisneeded.Forpreviouslysuccessfulleaders,thepersonaltraumaissignificant,andtheconsequencesofderailingatseniorlevelscanbemagnifiedasaftershocksramifyacrossthecultureandaffectthesocialnetworksthroughwhichtheorganizationismanaged.Derailingcanseriouslyaffectorganizationalperformance.

CareerThemesLeadingtoDerailing

Therearecontrastsbetweensuccessfulleadersandderailers12.Successfulleaderssucceedinavarietyoffunctions,wherederailerssucceedinone.Effectiveleadershaveavarietyofmentors,derailersonlyone.Successfulleadersarecomposed,confident,andarticulate,whereasderailersareirritableunderpressureanddefensiveoverfailures.Successfulleadersgetalongwithpeople.Derailersstrugglewithrelationships.Theresearchonderailingidentifiessixthemesinaleader’strackrecordlikelytocausederailment13:

Organizational Interpersonal• Atoonarrowtechnicalorfunctionalexperiencebase.

• Failuretomeetbusinessobjectives.• Difficultymakingstrategicdecisions.

• Problemswithrelationshipsatseniorlevels.• Inabilitytobuildandleadateam.• Inabilitytodeveloporadaptduringatransition.

CareerProgressionandDerailing

Executiveswholaterderailhavetypicallyhadimportantsuccessesearlyintheircareersandwereviewedastechnicalexperts.Astheymovedupandjobdemandschanged,someearlystrengthsbecameweaknesses,andsomeearlyweaknessesbegantomatter.Executivejobssuccessivelydemandmoreanddifferentskillsandperspectives.Themanyreasonsforderailinginthesejobsalmostalwaysincludesfailuretoadaptaleadershiprepertoiretonewcircumstances14:• Intelligentleadersbecomeintellectuallyarrogant,dismissive,devaluingofothers.• Likeableleadersbecomeindecisiveandriskadverse.• Focusedleadersdeveloptunnelvisionandanarrowperspective.

• Ambitiousleadersbecomemanipulativeandself-serving.Committedleadersbecomeworkaholics.• Passionateleadersbecomedominating,reactiveandexcessivelyemotional.• Leaderswithstrongpeopleskillsbecomehesitant,needtobeliked,orwon’tmaketoughcalls.• Experiencedleadersbecomerigidandclose-minded.Confidentleadersbecomearrogant.• Charismaticleadersbecomemanipulative,self-servinganddeceptive.• Drivenleadersbecomeindifferenttopeopleandareruthless.• Strategicleaderswithvisionbecomedisconnectedfromreality.

WhatCausesDerailment?

Studyafterstudyhasfoundthatself-awarenessisakeyfactorassociatedwithperformanceandpotential,andisanindicatoroflong-termcareersuccess.Factorssuchascognitiveability,motivation,andexperienceareimportantbutlackofself-awarenessbestexplainsderailing.Self-awarenessisunderstandingyourstrengthsandweakness.Itenablesunderstandingofsituationsandallowsonetoregulateappropriateresponses.Itisshapedbyethos,developsfromexperience,determinescompetence,andisactivatedandsustainedbypersonalenergy.Takentogether,theseelementscomprisealeadershippractice.Barrierstoself-awarenesstakeseveralforms15.Blindspotsareweaknessesleaderscan’tseeinthemselves,eventhoughevidenttothosearoundthem.Incompleteunderstandingofweaknessesmaycauseleaderstoover-estimatetheirownstrengths.Undervaluedstrengthsareskillsthatleadersunderestimatecomparedtohowothersseethem.

CommonBlindSpots Under-EstimatedWeaknesses Undervaluedstrengths

MakingtoughpeoplecallsDemonstratingpersonalflexibilityCreatingthenewanddifferent

Doesn’tinspireorbuildtalentToonarrowoutlookCan’trelatewelltoothers

ManagingupUnderstandingthebusinessMakingcomplexdecisions

Aninterestingaspectofself-awarenessistheKruger-DunningEffect16Infourstudiesconductedbytheseauthors,theyfoundthatpeopletendedtoholdoverlyfavourableviewsoftheirabilitiesinmanysocialandintellectualdomains.Theauthorssuggestthatthisover-estimationoccurs,inpart,becausepeoplewhoareunskilledinthesedomainssufferadualburden;notonlydotheyreacherroneousconclusionsabouttheirabilitiesandmakeunfortunatechoices,buttheirincompetencerobsthemoftheabilitytorealizeit.Thestudiesshowedthat,oparadoxically,improvingtheskilslofpeopleincreasedtheirtabilitytorecognizewhattheydidnotknoworcouldnotdo,andthishelopedthemrecignizethelimitationsoftheirabilities.

DerailingisPreventable

Derailingisadevelopmentalissue.Itiscausedbybehavioursandmostrecoverysolutionsarefoundinsomeformofhumandevelopmentsuchasfeedback,coachingormentoring.Derailmentcanbeprevented,andstudiesshowthatorganizationshaveoptionstomitigaterisk.First,theorganizationmustbeunwillingtotoleratethebehaviourthatiscausingderailment.Next,thepersoninquestionmustbelievethistobethecase.Aderailer’sunderstandingoftheircircumstancemustchange,andawarenessoftheirimpactonothersimprove.Organizationscantakesystematicstepstopreventderailing.First,performancemanagementprogramsshouldbedesignedtohelpleadersbecomemoreself-awareandunderstandaspectsoftheirmake-upthat

canleadtoderailmentsotheycantakeproactiveresponsibilityforthem.Regularmulti-raterfeedbackisagoodwaytodothis.Second,thetalentmanagementsysteminanorganizationneedstoincorporaterigoroushiringpracticestoscreennew-hiresforderailmentfactors17.Thetablefollowinglistseightfactorsthatcanbeassessedduringrecruitingorstaffing.Thiscanbecomplementedwitheffectiveonboarding,especiallyatseniorlevelsandincriticaljobs.

EightDerailmentFactorsforAssessment

Hyper-sensitivityandemotionallyreactiveIsolationandpronouncedintroversionEccentricbehaviourandoff-beatstyleIconoclasm,movingagainstculturalvalues

ExhibitionismandnarcissisticoutlookOver-confidenceinownabilitiesOver-dependenceonothersMicro-management

Third,executivedevelopmentprogramsbedesignedtoaddresstheblindspots,weaknessesandunder-valuedstrengthsthatcanleadtoderailing.Fourth,developmentalprogramsshouldbesupplementedwithongoingcoachingandmentoringthatincludesfrequentinformalfeedbackonperformance.

ConcludingThoughts

Animportantpersonalrecoverychoiceistofailfastandavoidaprolongeddecline.Theideaisnottoletfailurebecomeapervasiveandpermanentadverseconditionbutinsteadtoseeitasacontained,transientortemporarysetbackthatoffersanopportunitytolearnaboutyourselfandmakeappropriatechanges.Failureandtherecoveryfromitbecomelikethesidesofacrucible,aplaceofgreatpressurewherecharacterreconfigures,isannealedandanewpersonemergeswhocandothingsdifferently18.Failurecreatesthecruciblethatenableschangeandrecovery-itcontainstheinflexionpointwhereyoudecidetogetbackinthegameandmoveforward.Althoughitmayseemcounter-intuitive,failurealwaysbringswithitopportunityandthefreedomtotakeintelligentrisksandexperimentwithnewideasandapproaches.ThebestadviceistoFailforward-findthewinthatcomeswithanewopportunityanduseitlikeasky-hooktoswingthroughfailuretorecovery19.Failuremaybeabadthing,butitdoesnotmakeyouabadperson.Sustainedrecoverydependsonlearningfromtheexperienceoffailure.Takethetimetolearnaboutwhathappenedandwhatyourpartofitis.Apauseforreflectioncanputfailureintoperspectiveandleadtoreflectingonitscauses.Itgivesyoutimetoregroupandplanforrecovery.Aspartofthis,considerevaluatingtherelationshipsaffectedbythefailureanddoanunblinkingassessmentofdamage.

Successteachesusnothing;onlyfailureteaches.

HymanG.Rickover

Part D: Recovery from the Trauma of Derailing Althoughasingleinstancemayprecipitateit,derailingisnotanevent.Itisaprocess,oftenexperiencedasaslow-motiontrainwreckwheresomeoneunderstandsthatsomethingisterriblywrongandthateventsaremovingbeyondtheircontrol,butfeelsparalyzedandpowerlesstoavoidtheirfate.Thecoreelementsoftheexperienceareprofoundhelplessness,socialisolationandalossofpowerandcontrol.Theexperienceistraumatisingonmanylevelsandthosewhohaveexperiencedderailingwillneverforget.Somelearnfromit,othersdonot.Recoveryisalsonotaninstance,butratheraslowclimboutofadarkplacetowardwhatChurchillreferredtoas“thebroadsunlituplands.”Ingeneral,recoveryfromtraumaistheabilitytoliveinthepresentwithoutbeingoverwhelmedbythethoughtsandfeelingsofthepast20.Inleadershippractice,recoveryisunderstoodtobethecapacitytofunctioneffectivelyasaleaderwithoutbeinghostagetopasteventsandassociatedemotions.Recoverydoesnotmeangettingbacktowhereyouwere,areturntothepre-derailingstate,nordoesitmeancompletefreedomfromderailing’slongerlastingeffects.Theexperiencemarksyouandbecomespartofyourcharacter.Eachofusrecoversinourownway.Likederailing,recoveryistheexperienceofanindividual,anditwillbedifferentforeveryone.Theguidingprinciplesofrecoveryaretherestorationofpersonalsafetyandstability,makingsenseoftheevent(s),andthenmovingaheadtoreconnection,repairandreintegrationoftheleadershiprole.

DerailingasMoralInjury

Moralinjuryreferstodamagetosomeone’sbeliefsorethicsresultingfromanactofperceivedmoraltransgression21.Distinctfrompathology,moralinjuryisanormalhumanresponsetoanabnormalevent22.LeadersmayexperiencemoralinjurywhentheirDealisseriouslydistorted,damagedordestroyed.Likeeveryone,leadershaveevolvedanimplicitsetofconventionsabouttheirrelationshipwiththeorganizationorinstitutiontheyworkfor.ThetermDealisusedtomeanthesumofthe“givens”abouttheirrole,workandprofessionallife.Ithasapervasiveinfluenceonhowtheyperformasleadersbecauseitshapesmotivations,expectations,andincentives23.DerailingimpliesafundamentalnegativechangeintheDealandpossiblyitscollapse.Itappearstoanindividualasasituationinwhichtheyfeeloverwhelmedandisolated,unabletoinfluenceevents,withtrustbrokenorbetrayed,andthreatenedbylossofcontrolovertheirimmediatefutureandtheircareer.Iftheeventisunexpectedorabrupt,moralinjuryandtraumamayoccur.Thepersonwhoderailsdeterminesiftheexperiencecausesmoralinjuryandtrauma.Theexperiencecanbeaone-timeoccurrenceorpartofalongerchronicorrepetitiveseriesofsmallerexperiencesthatculminateinderailing.Itisthesubjectiveexperiencethatmatters24.Themoreonefeelsthreatened,themoreonewillfeeltrauma.Becauseweallexperienceeventsindifferentways,itisunhelpfultogeneralisefromoneperson’sexperience.Whatmaybetraumatictoonemaybeasetbacktoanother.

RecoveryfromTrauma

Recoveryisaprocessworkedonovertimeandindeliberatestages25.Thereareseveralwaystodescribeit26.Forpurposesofunderstandingaleader’srecoveryfromderailing,thefollowingthree-phasesequenceshownintheattachedgraphicseemsappropriate:

1. Beforeanythingelse,findpersonalsafetyandstability;2. Then,makesenseoftheexperienceand,totheextentpossible,normalizeit,and;3. Withnormalization,lookforreconnection,repairandreintegrationofyourroleasaleader.

Itisimportanttounderstandthatthesequenceofrecoveryphasesisnecessaryandthatthedivisionsbetweenphasesarenotabsolute.Thereisadegreeofoverlapasonephasetransitionsintothenext.Itisamatteroffirstthingsfirst.Itisunhelpfultobegindefininganewnormaliffeelingunsafeandunstable.

Phase1–FindingSafety&Stability

Peopleaffectedbytraumacausedbyderailingmayfeelunsafeinthemselvesandintheirrelationshipswithothers.Thereisalossofstabilityastheirworlddistorts,breaksandreframesinanewandthreateningway.Regainingasenseofpersonalsafetyisthefirstrequirement.Withsafetycomesstabilityandfindingsolidgroundtostandon.Safetycomeswithtimeanddistancefromtheevent,andbeinginasecureholdingenvironmentwithhealthyboundaries.Itmaytakeweeksormonths.Othersmayhavetohelpyoufindsafetyorassistwithcreatingastableplace.

Aholdingenvironmentis,literally,aplacewhereoneissafelyheldandsupported.Ifyouareaparent,youknowwhataholdingenvironmentisbecauseyoucreatedthemforyourchildren27.Itisaplacewhichfostersandsupportsasenseofemotionalcohesiveness,ofknowingthatyouarewholeandsafe.Itisanencompassingspacethatgivesonetheability"tobearone'sfeelingswithoutlosingorfragmentingoneself28."Whensafetyisassured,thenextstepistodecideonthepartsoflifethatmostneedstabilisationandbeginningtoworkonthese.Forexample,apersonmayhavedifficultyregulatingemotionsaroundaperceivedshameofderailingoraroundaspectsoflifenotdirectlyassociatedwithit.Findingwaystomanagefeelingswillhelptostabilisetheexperienceandbringasenseofcontrol.

Phase2–MakingSenseoftheExperience,Findinganewnormal

Thisphaseisaboutprocessingthederailingevent,describingitinthoughts,emotionsandwords,andmakingsenseofit.Itinvolvesexploringtheevent,rememberinglossesassociatedwithderailingandusingtimeandspacetoexpressfeelingsabout.Giventhataleadingcauseofderailmentisalackofself-awareness,itisunlikelyanindividualcandothisphasealone.Thisiswhereacoach,mentororprofessionalcounsellor/therapistisneeded.Supervisorscanhelpbymakingtheseresourcesavailableandprovidingtimeandspaceforthissupporttokickin.ItisimportanttorememberthatprogressinthisphasedependsoncontinuingthesenseofsafetyandstabilityachievedinPhase1.Attendingtotheseconditionsallowstheleadertodevelopanarrativeofthederailingeventratherthanreactingtoitinafight,flightorfreezeresponse.Ifsafetyandstabilityarethreatenedatanytimeduringthisphase,itrequiresareturntotheholdingenvironmentandrediscoveryofpersonalsafetyandstabilityinPhase1.Pacingandtimingarecrucial.Ifthederailedleaderbecomesoverwhelmedtalkingabouttheexperience,safetyandstabilityarethreatenedandneedtoberegainedbeforemovingonwiththenarrative.Thepointisnotto“re-live”theexperienceorwallowinnegativefeelings,butneitherisittotellthestoryinanabstractwaywithnoemotionsattached.Rather,thenarrativeshouldbeanauthenticwaytonormalisetheexperience.

Phase3–Reconnection,RepairandIntegration

Theexperienceofderailingmorethanqualifiesasacrucibleexperience–aperiodofveryhighstressandpressureinwhichaperson’sleadershippracticeisrecastandannealed29.Anewleaderemerges,ornot,toreconnect,repairstressedorbrokenrelationshipsandreintegrateintoadifferentleadershiproleasadifferentperson.Thisfinalphaseiswhereanewsenseofselfemerges,andadifferentfuturebeginstoappearandcomeintofocus.Thederailingeventisnolongeradefiningforceinsomeone’slife.Thereisunderstandingthatwhiletherehasbeenabadexperience,itdoesnotmakethepersonbad.Thetraumabecomesintegratedintotheirlifestorybutisnottheonlythingthatdefinesthem.

Recoveryisanindividualprocessandwilllookdifferentforeveryone.Thereisanintensedesiretorecoverquickly,andsomemayfeeltheprocessistakingtoolong,ornotbeingdone"right",orthatperhapssomeofthepersonalheavyliftingcanbeskipped.Thesewouldbeunfortunatechoices.Itisimportanttorememberthatrecoverydoesnotmeanthecompleteabsenceofpainfulmemoriesofthederailingevent,ratherthatitisbeingabletolivewithitinawaythatitnolongerdefinesone’slife.Comingtothisrealisationmaytaketime.

GoodRecoveryPractice

• Getmoving:Traumadisruptsthebody’snaturalequilibriumandmayfreezeoneinaconstantstateofexhaustedvigilanceandapprehension.Thenervoussystemgets“stuck.”Aswellasburningoffadrenalineandreleasingendorphins,exerciseandmovementcanhelpthenervoussystembecome“unstuck.”

• Don’tIsolate:Followingtrauma,thereisanaturaldesiretowithdraw,butisolationonlymakesthings

worse.Personalsafetyandstabilityismuch,muchhardertoachieveifisolated.Holdingenvironmentsneedotherstohelpshapeandmaintainthem.Connectingtoothersfacetofacewillenablerecoveryandmaintainrelationships.Connectingdoesnotnecessarilymeantalkingabouttheevent.Comfortcomesfromjustfeelingengagedandacceptedbyothers.

• Self-regulate:Traumameansalossofsafetyandstability.Inthefirstinstance,recoverydependsonan

abilitytoself-regulateandregainasenseofpersonalcontrol.Nomatterhowagitated,anxious,oroverwhelmedonefeels,itisimportanttoknowthatpeoplecanchangehowtheyinterpreteventsandbecalmaboutthem.Startwiththesmallestthingthatcanbecontrolledandgraduallybuildoutfromtheretodevelopconfidenceinone’sabilitytoself-regulate.Itwillhelprelieveanxietyandengenderagreatersenseofcontrol.

• TakecareofSelf:Beinghealthyincreasesone’sabilitytocopewithstressandtrauma.Regularsleepis

essential–exhaustionpreventsrecovery.Avoidsubstancesthattemporarilyalterhowoneseesreality.Whiletheymayhaveobviousshort-termsbenefits,theyonlyincreasefeelingsofdepression,anxiety,andisolation.Eatproperlytomaintainenergy.Findwaystorelaxandbleedoffstress.

• Theexperiencewillend.HaveFaith.FindHope:Althoughthepresentexperiencemaybe

overwhelming,itisessentialtounderstandthatthereisanendtoitandtohavefaithinthecertainknowledgethatnothingisforever,thattimesandtideschange,andthatitisalwayswithinthepowerofindividualstobuildanewplaceofgreatersafety.Nobodyisevercompletelypowerless.Decidewherethepowerliesandstartfromthere.That’swherehopebegins.

• Changetheframe.Changethegame.Thetraumathatcomeswithderailingcreatesatendencytofocus

solelyontheevent(s).But,recoveryisverydifficultwhenallthatcanbeseenisthewreckageafteratrain-wreck.Althoughitisdifficult,tryhardtomaintainalargerframeofreference,sotheeventremainsinperspective,andthenexpandittoseemorechoicesaboutrecovery.Abiggerframehelpstochangethegamebyredefiningitsothatrecoveryleadingtoanewfutureispossible.

Whentoseekprofessionalhelp

Recoverytakestime,andeveryonerecoversattheirownpace.But,ifrecoveryisnothappeningorseemsdelayed,professionalhelpmaybeneeded30.Signsthatmaypointtoaneedforexternalhelpinclude:

• Feelingseriouslyunstable,fragile,notcopingwell.• Sufferingfromseverefear,anxiety,ordepression.• Unabletoformormaintainclose,satisfyingrelationships.• Experiencingfrighteningmemories,nightmares,orflashbacks.• Avoidingmoreandmorethingsthatremindyouofthetrauma.• Emotionallynumbanddisconnectedfromothers.• Usingalcoholordrugstofeelbetter.

ManageyourNarrative

Recoverysuggeststhatanewpieceisbeingaddedtoaperson’sprofessionalreputationandanewchapterwrittenintheirlifenarrative.Thederailingeventbecomesoneofthemarkereventsonthearcofaprofessionalcareer.Derailerswhoarerecoveringmustfindabalancebetweeneffortstochangethemselvesandthemanagementofothers'perceptionsaboutthesechanges.Thefactis,someone’sprofessionalreputationoftenlagstherealityofpresent-dayperformance.Thisimbalancecangenerateadditionalpressuresorexpectationsforrecoverythatmaynotbewarranted.Showingsignsofimprovement,aderailerneedstimeandspacetomakeitworkandforotherstoseethatthisisso.Supervisorsneedtofindawaytoprovide‘topcover’sothatrecoverycandevelopmomentumandnotbejudgedonincompleteoroutdatedinformation31.Findwaystosignalthesuccessthatallowspeopletoseeyourrecoveryinitscurrentand,hopefully,futureform.

ConcludingThoughts

Derailingandrecoveryareprocesses,notevents,andwhentheyoccurtimebecomesimportant.Ifforwhateverreason,derailingcannotbeavoidedorside-stepped,itneedstoplayout.Similarly,recoverywilltakethetimeittakes,andnotmore.Botharegradualemotionaltransitionsandneedtobeseenassuch.Patienceinthesesituationsishard,butavirtuenonetheless.Faithinafutureiswhatsustainsrecovery.Theideaofmoralinjuryisausefulwaytocharacterizethehurtandtraumathatcomeswithderailing.Itgivesitappropriatescaleandprovidesawaytoaccessthefundamentalsofaprofessionallife–thedeepemotionalconnection,theDeal,andthebeliefsandmoralsitrestson,thatkeepsusdoingwhatwedo.RediscoveryorreformulationofaDealduringrecoverytakestime.Itisimportanttoknowthatrecoverydoesnotgetonebacktowheretheywerebeforederailing.Yourecovertoadifferentplace,hopefullyabetteronebecauseyouhavelearnedwhateverlessonistobelearned.Recoverydoesnotmeanfreedomfromthelastingeffectsoftrauma.But,itdoeshelptonormalisethem.Itprovidestimeandspaceforfaithtoberediscoveredandconfidenceinone’sabilitytomakeabetterworldrestored.

End Notes

1Goldsmith,MarshallandReiter,Mark,WhatGotyouherewon’tgetyouthere,Hyperion (2007) 2AdaptedfrommaterialbyPhilRabinowitzathttp://ctb.ku.edu(2015)3PsychologyFoundationofCanada.(2009).BouncingBack(pp.1–9).4Dolitch,D.L.,Adversity:Whatmakesaleaderthemost,IveyBusinessJournal(2005)5Bennis,WarrenandThomas,RobertJ.,TheCruciblesofLeadership,HarvardBusinessReview,September20026Lewin,K.Fieldtheoryinsocialscience:Selectedtheoreticalpapers.London:TavistockPublicationsandRoutledgePaul(1952)7Gilbert,ThomasF.,HumanCompetence:EngineeringWorthyPerformance(1996)8Billsbery,Jon,etal.,SomeSuggestionsforMappingOrganizationalMembers'SenseofFit,JournalofBusinessandPsychology,Vol.19,No.4(Summer,2005).Source:JournalofBusinessandPsychology,Vol.19,No.4(Summer,2005),pp.555-5709Muchinsky,P.M.&Monahan,C.J.(1987).Whatisperson-environmentcongruence?Supplementaryversuscomplementarymodelsoffit.JournalofVocationalBehavior,Vo.31(1987).10TheneedtoassessandunderstandtheenvironmentcomesfromAshby'sLawofRequisiteVariety[AhituvandNeumann:1982].SeeJosephBower,TheTwofacesofManagement,HoughtonMifflin,Boston,Mass(1978),pp87.11Lombardo,M.M.,&Eichinger,R.W.(1989).Preventingderailment:Whattodobeforeit'stoolate.CenterforCreativeLeadership.12McCall,M.W.,Jr.,&Lombardo,M.M.(1983,February).Whatmakesatopexecutive?PsychologyToday,17(2),26–3113VanVelsor,Ellenetal.,WhyExecutivesDerail:PerspectivesacrossTimeandCultures.Author(s):TheAcademyofManagementExecutiveVol.9,No.4(Nov.,1995),pp.62-7214Sessions,Michael,ExecutiveDerailment,TurknettLeadershipGroupPresentation(2006)15Orr,Swisher,Tang,andKennethP.DeMeuse.,KornFerryInstitute:Illuminatingblindspotsandhiddenstrengths.September2010.Studysurveyed1350leaders.16Kruger,JustinandDunning,David,UnskilledandUnawareofIt:HowDifficultiesinRecognizingOne’sOwnIncompetenceLeadtoInflatedSelf-Assessments,JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,Vol.7,No.6,pp1121-1134(1999)17PersonalityandLeadershipDerailment(TalentQWhitePaper),201018Bennis,WarrenG.andThomas,RobertJ.,TheCruciblesofLeadership,HarvardBusinessReview,September2002.19Maxwell,JohnC.,FailingForward,JohnC.MaxwellCompany(2001)20Giller,Esther“WhatisTrauma?”ThearticlefromwhichmuchofthisBackgrounderwasdevelopedoriginatedasaworkshoppresentationattheAnnualConferenceoftheMarylandMentalHygieneAdministration,“PassagestoPrevention:PreventionacrossLife’sSpectrum,”May1999.Copyright1999(SidranInstitute).21Litz,BT;Stein,N;Delaney,E;Lebowitz,L;Nash,WP;Silva,C;Maguen,S(2014-11-12)."Moralinjuryandmoralrepairinwarveterans:apreliminarymodel".ClinicalPsychologyReview.29:695–70622Maguen,Shira;Litz,Brett."MoralInjuryintheContextofWar".PTSD:NationalCenterforPTSD.U.S.DepartmentofVeteransAffairs(2015).SeealsoRitaNakashimaandGabriellaLettini,SoulRepair:RecoveringfromMoralInjuryAfterWar(Boston:BeaconPress(2012).23Pullen,William,BackgrounderonTheDeal,UniversityofOttawa(2012).Seealso:Rousseau,DeniseM.PsychologicalContractsinOrganizations:UnderstandingWrittenandUnwrittenAgreements.ThousandOaks,CA:Sage,(1995),Coyle-Shapiro,JacquelineA-M.andParzefall,M.(2008)Psychologicalcontracts,in:Cooper,CaryL.andBarling,Julian,(eds.)TheSAGEhandbookoforganizationalbehavior.SAGEPublications,London,UK,pp.17-3424Allen,Jon,CopingwithTrauma:AGuidetoSelf-Understanding(2ndEd.)AmericanPsychiatricAssociationPublication,(Nov.2004)25Giller,Esther,“WhatisTrauma?”26McGrath,Ellen,(FourStageModel)RecoveringfromTrauma,November200127D.W.Winnicott,"DeprivationandDelinquency,"editedbyClareWinnicott,RayShepherd,MadeleineDavis(LondonandNewYork:Tavistock,1984) 28Baldwin,Jessica,"TheBondsofLove:Psychoanalysis,FeminismandtheProblemofDomination," (New York: Pantheon, 1988).SeealsoBorg,LydiaK.,"Holding,attachingandrelating:atheoreticalperspectiveongoodenoughtherapythroughanalysisofWinnicott'sgoodenoughmother,usingBowlby'sattachmenttheoryandrelationaltheory"(2013).Theses,Dissertations,andProjects.Paper588.29Bennis,WarrenG.andThomas,RobertJ.,ibid.30GillerEsther“WhatisTrauma?”31Zenko,R.,Gentry,W.,Hall,A.,andGrant,G.L.,ReputationalChangeamongManagers,JournalofManagerialIssues,Spring2012.