In leadership, setbacks are inevitable, but they offer some of the greatest opportunities for growth. It’s easy to feel discouraged when things don’t go as planned, but moments of defeat can serve as powerful catalysts for innovation and transformation. As a leader, learning from what doesn’t work can be just as valuable—if not more—than celebrating what does.
Last Saturday wasn’t the best night for us Calgary Stampeders fans. Our Stamps fell to the BC Lions, losing 26-17 in their first defeat of the season. The game was marked by a few moments in the red zone where the team was just yards short of scoring—literally and metaphorically dropping the ball.
While it’s tough to see a team you support fall short, the loss got me thinking about the power of defeat. More importantly, the power of how we respond to defeat. As leaders, we often celebrate the wins. We highlight successes within our teams and chase those moments of triumph. But just as crucial is our ability to lean into the losses and see them as opportunities for growth.
In both sports and leadership, success can sometimes lull us into complacency. When things are going well, we assume our strategies, processes, and decisions will continue to deliver. We stick to what has worked before, and it feels safe. But when defeat hits, that’s when the real work starts.
When we lose—whether it's a failed project, a missed target, or an unexpected hurdle—it forces us to ask tough questions: What went wrong? What did we miss? How can we improve? These moments are invitations to challenge our assumptions, question our methods, and make changes for the better.
To truly learn from setbacks, leaders can adopt several strategies. First, create a culture that normalizes failure as part of the innovation process. When failure isn't feared, your team will feel more comfortable experimenting and taking calculated risks. Second, engage in a post-mortem analysis of failures without assigning blame. Encourage open dialogue, focus on root causes, and identify actionable insights. Finally, use setbacks as an opportunity to pivot. Don't just bounce back—shift your approach, update your playbook, and demonstrate resilience by adapting faster and smarter than before.
The Stamps have a bye this weekend, but they’ll be back stronger when they face the Winnipeg Jets next week. They’ll learn from their loss, adapt, and come back ready for the challenge. And no matter what happens, I’ll be cheering them on.
As we move into the last half of the year, I encourage you to reflect on the "losses" you and your team may have experienced recently. What are these setbacks teaching you? How can they inspire new strategies and approaches?
The season isn’t over. Whether in football or leadership, every setback is a chance to rewrite the playbook.
