Sometimes you win, sometimes winners hurt when they lose

It was a month that saw me experience a few setbacks, which included not being awarded a tender.

The time taken and meticulous attention that was spent on this opportunity warranted a positive response. I have to learn from this and be ready for the next opportunity.

How do you treat yourself or your team when they experience disappointments or how do you mend a broken spirit?

Well, from my experience, it is important never to equate a business loss to the person per se as it erodes the self esteem of the individual. Too often we equate a person’s intrinsic value to the success of a transactional outcome. Fortunately for me, my clients who knew about my setback helped me overcome it by validating my track record and my personal commitment to the business. You know who you are and I am truly grateful.

So my recommendation to leaders is to always treat your people like winners even when they ‘lose’. Remember that the same person who lost the job this time round is the same person that can bring in the next win. As leaders, we need to be kind, supportive and understanding so that our people will be more inclined to depend on us for wisdom and direction.

Great winning teams don’t give up. Instead they use failure as a stepping stone to achieve their next win.