Firing Back: How great Leaders Rebound after career disasters.

Firing Back: How great Leaders Rebound after career disasters.

Stunning recovery is possible from even the most catastrophic of setbacks. Michael Milken, Martha Stewart, Home Depot’s Bernie Marcus, Bank One’s Jamie Dimon, and others came back from the depths by following the path of the universal hero.

The leader’s fall from “who’s who”to”who’s that?”is full of stigma and shame. But the story doesn’t have to end there. By Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld and Andrew J. Ward. Excerpt taken from Harvard Business Review South Asia, Special Issue January 2007.

Getting beyond rage and denial

One of the most important steps on the route to recovery is to confront and acknowledge failure. This can be as simple as understanding the Machiavellian politics of others. So as you set about rebuilding your career, make sure you:

- Remember that failure is a beginning, not an end. Comeback is always possible.

- Look to the future. Preemptive actions are often more effective than reactive ones – even if they only take the form of standing back and reflecting on what to do next.

- Help people to deal with your failure. Even close friends may avoid you because they don’t know what to say or do. Let them know that you are ready for assistance and what kind of aid would be most useful.

- Know your narrative. Reputation building involves telling and retelling your story to get your account of events out there and to explain your downfail. Be consistent.