One real test of leadership is how people respond to failure or setback. A true leader doesn’t waste time complaining about everything that everyone else has done or not done or blaming circumstances and people for a failure. He or she takes personal responsibility for their own situation. And steps back, assesses what can be learned – and truly sees it as an opportunity for personal growth.
Dispassionately analyzing a situation, one can usually find a window of opportunity even in the worst setback. When we are too emotional about something that has happened we may not see the potential for improvement or any options to move forward.
Such a level of dispassion, even in truly difficult times, can be developed. It requires practice, concentration and an understanding that we are all responsible for our own lives. As long as we blame someone else (or a given set of circumstances) for our misery, we give that person or situation the power to make us happy or sad. If we “take back” that power and assume the responsibility, we can also change something in our own behavior or attitudes, which can in turn improve the situation
