The Hindu Business Line : The defeat of disappointment

Firing Back is a defiantly fiery book from Harvard Business School Press (www.tatamcgrawhill.com) . "Some people get their kicks, stompin' on a dream but I don't let it, let it get me down, `cause this fine ol' world it keeps spinning around." Thus reads a snatch from `That's Life' recorded by Frank Sinatra, at the start of chapter 1, aptly titled `The disappointment of defeat or the defeat of disappointment'.

How do leaders rebound after catastrophic career setbacks? The authors, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Andrew Ward, travel the world of movie and media, politics and business, art and academia, to find the answers. Such as, these words of Rudyard Kipling, carved above the doorway leading to Centre Court, Wimbledon: `If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat these two impostors just the same... '

A major barrier, however, to recovery is the societal scorn towards failure. "Our society, as reflected in the media, has a tendency to build people up, celebrate success, and place the successful on a pedestal - but then are quick in trampling on those who fall from grace. This can lead the fallen leader to shy away from the spotlight and seek obscurity rather than facing the long climb back to the next peak in the leader's career."

The concluding chapter harks back to `That's Life' of Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon: `Each time I find myself laying flat on my face, I just pick myself up and get back in the race.' Failure is a beginning, not an end, says the book. For instance, Frank Louchheim, the founder of Right Associates, would cheer up his clients after their termination, saying, "We're not undertakers, we're obstetricians!" It is only through triumphing over defeat that leaders are able `to battle back against life's adversity and genuinely prove their transcendence of the forces that took down others.'

Post-failure, it may seem as if the world is against you; look around, there are people who support you and are eager to help if you will let them, the authors counsel. Take care not to perform a sub-optimal rebound by accepting any offer hastily. "Plenty of people may try to get you at a discount price or offer you an inadequate position while you are down." Give yourself time to regroup, because a second downfall can exacerbate the barriers to recovery. Don't be tempted `back into the fray too quickly'.

The final lesson is this: "Comeback is not a matter of luck, it is taking a chosen path." You need to be creative under pressure, and bring order out of chaos. "The creativity in finding solutions is not a random process that generates a brilliant idea, but a rational, systematic process in addressing the problem at hand and viewing it from a holistic angle, allowing creative solutions to be found by working at seeking them rather than relying on a random moment of inspiration."

http://BookPeek.blogspot.com

More Stories on : Books | Manage Mentor | Management

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
The snail and the lobster: Learning from threats

How to `manage' your boss

From promise to performance

ICFAI biz school seeks global accreditation

In the business of machine tools

The defeat of disappointment