Leadership Under Fire: Handling Mistakes with Grace

Congratulations, you've just activated your trial version of 'Leadership Under Fire.' This is your chance to demonstrate how you step up and handle things when they go wrong.

Mistakes are unavoidable; they're a part of life. Learning to handle them is like exercising a muscle. When things go wrong, it's your opportunity to strengthen that muscle.

Sh!t happened?

Take a deep breath & stay calm — it's not the end of the world. What's done is done, and now you can only work with what you have. And it’s not the time for blame or retrospect, that will come later. Now, we have other things to do.
Assess the Situation — Understand what went wrong. Is there something actually wrong? a false alarm? or working as designed?
Assess the Impact — Who is impacted and how severe it is? Even if it's a potential impact, consider all scenarios - it's better safe than sorry.
Communicate — Notify stakeholders as early as you can, especially if the issue could have a significant impact. Be honest and transparent about the problem & your findings, even if you're unsure or lack skills in certain areas.

💡 Pro-tip: If it's a sensitive issue or you're not confident in your findings, limit initial communication to minimize panic.
Take Responsibility. Own it — If it's partly or entirely your fault, acknowledge it without excuses or blame.

💡 Pro-tip: Avoid using the word "But" while taking responsibility.
List Solutions — Propose possible solutions or steps to mitigate the issue.
Prioritize and Organize — Which tasks or aspects of the project need immediate attention to prevent further issues.

💡 Ahmed Atef-tip: In my own experience, one of the best things you may do is to create a doc, document the problems, the solutions, and who is trying each of them, what are the findings of each solution, etc. In chaos, this is often skipped.
Seek Support — If you run out of ideas, ask others for help. Don't get stuck alone trying to solve it. Your goal is to get the problem fixed, not to fix it yourself.
Know When to Escalate — If the issue is still not being addressed, always remember you can escalate, to your manager, to the board, etc. There are times bigger circles need to be aware of the situation, that's part of the trust they have in you.

Ownership is ownership, whether it's your direct responsibility or indirect. If something goes wrong, it's crucial to step up and set an example. In all the steps outlined above, take proactive initiative without waiting for someone to nudge you.

The goal? To earn a reputation that says, "Don’t worry, Ahmed Atef is on top of that." By actively managing both the successes and the setbacks, you become the go-to person who sets an example and gets things done.

#Leadership #Ownership #ProblemSolving #CrisisManagement #CommunicationSkills