Elite athletes dedicate years of their lives to their training - putting in the work to get better, to beat out competition and reach their highest level. True, some get lucky breaks that give them the opportunity to shine (like Tom Brady when Drew Bledsoe got hurt in 2001), but that’s not enough to make an athlete’s career. It takes hard work, commitment and sacrifice all without any guarantee of long-term success.
All athletes know the risk of injury is part of the game. But most approach sports with an “it won’t happen to me” attitude. When it does happen, it can be devastating. They experience fear, anxiety, anger and even grief - especially for those who have seen themselves as athletes above all else. Suddenly, what made them who they are is in jeopardy. These reactions are normal. Injuries force athletes to reflect and evaluate. It’s what they do next that separates the good from the great.
Some go into - and stay in - Survive mode: hyper-attuned to threats and hyper-focused on problem-solving. They get stuck in the fear that they will never perform at the same level again, usually creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Those athletes typically don’t get back to their same peak performance. Some refuse to acknowledge the severity of the injury, which limits the rehabilitation process and greatly increases the likelihood of reinjury.
Others demonstrate incredible resilience by going into Thrive mode: they hone in on their greatest strengths on and off the field, seek out opportunities, collaborate and innovate. They use this challenge to learn critical lessons that allow them to think in new ways or behave differently in the future. They begin to broaden their sense of identity, and begin to think more creatively about how they can be successful. A soccer player may no longer be the fastest on the field after an ACL tear, but she can sharpen her ability to read the field and make faster decisions. An Olympic rower may shift from rowing as a single to rowing in an eight, finding strength in a team.
Setbacks in business aren’t all that different. Whether it’s a significant financial downturn, the loss of a key product or an unforeseen controversy, organizations are also forced to reflect and evaluate. Employees are often left wondering if it’s possible for the company to come back and, if it can, what their role will be and what will be different. How the organization responds will inevitably dictate its future viability.
When “the worst” happens, many people within the organization are likely in Survive - as they should be at the beginning. But, staying in Survive indefinitely won’t help the organization recover. Senior leaders need to acknowledge and help others understand the situation. They need to move from blame, which focuses on individual actions, to accountability, which focuses on the systems at play. Then they need to demonstrate commitment to finding a path forward built on the core values of the business - those that inspire employees to come to work every day - while also embracing a spirit of rediscovery and innovation.
For example, many pharmaceutical companies’ patents are running out, opening the market to unprecedented competition. Rather than falling victim to this situation, one company seized this moment to focus on increasing speed to market, launching several new brands faster than ever before and impacting millions of patients’ lives, resulting in $450 million in revenue for the business. Or, Uber, which could have collapsed under the weight of multiple scandals. Instead, new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi has launched a widespread campaign to rebuild trust among customers and employees.
Leaders in the midst of recovering from a significant setback need to leverage this moment in time to consider the type of organization they want to be. They need to ensure everyone at all levels learns the right lessons, ground themselves in the organization’s core values, explore how they can innovate to bring unique value in the current market and determine what they need to stop doing to protect against the same setbacks in the future. Doing so will help ensure an organization can thrive again - and perhaps even exceed pre-injury performance levels.
