By Rebecca Zucker and Jordan Stark
Partners, Next Step Partners
Harvard Business Review featured insights from three Next Step Partners’ executive coaches and thought leaders—Rebecca Zucker, Jordan Stark, and Dina Smith—in its latest compilation, “Our Favorite Management Tips on Learning from Failure.”
A key part of your job as a leader is to keep your team motivated and on track when things start to go sideways. Here are some strategies to try if a project is failing and you need to boost your team’s morale.
Your team’s project might not be going well because the organization’s goals and vision aren’t clear, so get the team together to re-establish or re-define these goals. This can breathe a second life into the project and allow you to troubleshoot, locate pain points, and define a path forward as a team.
Then, to remove obstacles, reprioritize people’s work, reassign work altogether, and reallocate project resources (including budget) as necessary. These sorts of interventions will help reduce redundancy and clear bottlenecks that are getting in the way.
Next, recognize that different people are motivated by different things—for example, career-development opportunities or monetary incentives—and tailor your leadership approach accordingly. And schedule a weekly project meeting to create regular feedback loops about what’s working (and what’s not) so you can course-correct quickly.
Finally, celebrate small wins. Recognition boosts morale and promotes optimism—both of which lead to a sense of forward momentum on your team.
This tip is adapted from “Keep Your Team Motivated When a Project Goes Off the Rails,” by Rebecca Zucker.
Being promoted after a leader fails is a unique leadership challenge. You’re inheriting instability, not just a new title. If you’ve just stepped into such a role, here’s how to steady the ship and succeed where your predecessor didn’t.
Expect the unexpected. The underlying situation may be worse than you think. Broken systems, frayed trust, and hidden risks will emerge fast. Stay grounded and ready to absorb tough truths without losing your footing.
Make time for reflection. Don’t jump to fixing problems—start by diagnosing them. Ask what failed, what assumptions drove past choices, and which stakeholders need immediate attention. The deeper your understanding, the sharper your strategy.
Dig in before delegating. In a turnaround, surface-level oversight won’t work. Roll up your sleeves, get close to operations, and earn credibility through action. Only delegate once you’ve stabilized what matters.
Speak plainly—and often. People want honesty, not blame. Share what’s broken and where you’re headed. Use consistent language, repeat your core message, and show you’re steady in a crisis.
Ensure your team is having the right conversations. Eliminate silos and shift leadership conversations from updates to collective strategy. If performance is lagging, make necessary changes quickly.
Protect your capacity. You can’t fix everything at once. Prioritize, pace yourself, and make rest part of the plan—not an afterthought.
This tip is adapted from “Leading After Your Predecessor Fails,” by Jordan Stark and Darcy Eikenberg.
When your team blames you for a failure or a decision they don’t like, it’s natural to feel a range of uncomfortable emotions. How can you work through your response and rebuild trust?
Be brutally honest with yourself. Start by identifying and naming your feelings, then take an honest look at your contributions to the situation. Ask yourself, “What did I do—or not do—that contributed to these circumstances?” Regardless of whether you deserve blame, avoid defensiveness. Instead, give yourself grace.
Listen to and validate your team. Schedule a meeting to address their concerns, and do your best to be empathetic. You might say, “I heard your concerns and want to understand your perspective.” Give them your undivided attention, ask open-ended questions, mirror back what you hear, and adopt an open and nonjudgmental attitude. When it’s appropriate, own up to your mistakes.
Finally, work together to find solutions to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again. A collective approach will help rebuild trust between you and your team.
This tip is adapted from “What to Do When Your Team Blames You,” by Dina Denham Smith and Ron Carucci.