Ways to Handle Failure in the Public Eye as a New Executive was originally published on Ivy Exec.
Stepping into an executive role comes with a lot of authority and responsibility. People will watch every move you make, and some will cheer you on, while others will wait to see you fail.
When you make a mistake, you may feel judged and scrutinized by the public. You may even start doubting your leadership abilities and feel your career is ending.
Luckily, public failure doesn’t have to ruin your career since you can use it to grow if you handle the situation correctly. Let’s discuss some smart, thoughtful ways to bounce back even when the public is watching.
🎯 Think Before Responding
The instinct to respond immediately will be strong when your failures become public. You may want to control the narrative or defend your intent. However, rushing to respond can lead to emotional decisions and poorly framed messages.
Instead of reacting quickly, understand the situation fully first. Assess the facts and consult with advisors or legal counsel if necessary. Afterward, determine the scope of the issue so you can strategize how to handle it.
Taking time helps your public statement reflect thoughtful leadership instead of an emotional reaction.
🎯 Accept Full Responsibility
After making a mistake, you may want to blame your employees, especially if they contributed to the issue. But even if you aren’t entirely at fault, internal stakeholders will expect you to carry the responsibility in the public eye.
Taking accountability doesn’t necessarily imply you’re liable for every fault. It shows you recognize that embracing the company’s successes and failures is part of leadership. Besides, it demonstrates maturity and helps you earn respect, even under challenging circumstances.
🎯 Be Transparent But Strategic
Transparency builds trust, and people will want you to be honest after a public failure. All the stakeholders will need to understand what happened. They may also be curious about why the mistake occurred and the steps you’re taking to fix the repercussions.
When communicating about the crisis, be strategic. Avoid sharing sensitive information that could paint the company in a bad light and damage its reputation. Further, avoid over-explaining or releasing half-formed ideas.
The best approach is to provide a clear, fact-based message that’s solution-oriented. Only release verified information, and if an investigation is underway, say so.
You should also inform stakeholders about the commitments to follow up as more details become available. Doing so will show you’re a present leader keen on managing the situation.
🎯 Issue a Sincere and Structured Apology
A well-constructed apology is an essential part of crisis management. So, if you issue a vague or defensive statement, others will notice and probably criticize you.
By offering a sincere apology, you show empathy and prove you understand how your mistake affected others. Ensure your apology has the following parts:
- Acknowledgment of what went wrong
- Expression of regret for the impact it had
- A commitment to change or correct the issue
You should also avoid passive language, such as ‘mistakes were made,’ since it may suggest an attempt to distance yourself from the issue. Use active, responsible phrasing like ‘I made the wrong call’ to demonstrate leadership and reinforce trust.
🎯 Conduct a Post-Incident Review
After stabilizing a publicized situation, conduct a structured review to analyze the root causes. Ensure your process is thorough and looks beyond the immediate causes of the failure. Identify the decisions and errors that allowed the issue to occur and escalate. Here are some key areas to evaluate:
- The firm’s decision-making frameworks
- Risk management processes
- Internal communication gaps
Involve key team members during the investigation to ensure they understand what you want to uncover and solve. Moreover, ensure the process is transparent to the public and internal teams.
🎯 Maintain Visibility and Public Presence
You may want to retreat after a public failure until you recover from the difficult emotions. While the feeling is understandable, it may also send the wrong message. People may think you aren’t a resilient, stable leader who can protect the company and take accountability.
Be smart when handling public failure by maintaining visible engagement. Show up for your employees and attend stakeholder meetings. Additionally, talk about the recovery process to communicate resilience. Your visibility will build confidence and encourage others to focus during uncertain times.
🎯 Lean on Your Team and Advisors
As a new executive, you may feel pressured to solve every issue alone. Still, it’s vital to surround yourself with experienced team members and trusted advisors. Ask for their guidance to navigate the crisis and understand its implications.
Your team and advisors can help you see things clearly when emotions run high. They might also notice problems you missed and share helpful ideas based on their own experience.
Working with them will build a strong team culture and make you a more effective leader. Further, listening to their opinions and solving problems with them may turn a tough situation into a growth opportunity.
🎯 Create a Long-Term Reputation Recovery Plan
Rebuilding your reputation may be challenging after failing as a new executive. But with a clear plan and the right steps, you can earn back trust and respect.
Create a timeline that includes specific goals to show how you’re improving and what you’re doing to make things right. Some helpful steps to add are:
- Sharing updates about the progress you and your team are making
- Pointing out improvements you’ve made to company rules and processes
- Sharing third-party audits or reviews that prove the changes are working
- Speaking at industry events to share the lessons you’ve learned with others
Such actions will show you’re taking the situation seriously and making real changes. They also prove you care about doing the right thing and not just fixing your image.
After some time, people will begin to see you as a strong, honest, and responsible leader. They’ll respect how you handled a challenging situation and trust you even more.
Don’t Let Public Failures Hold You Down
Failure in public view will test your confidence and challenge professional relationships. However, it also allows you to demonstrate clarity, responsibility, and strength.
Always approach failure with honesty, strategy, and long-term vision to earn deeper trust. This way, you can rebuild your reputation and become a respectable leader. Check out our career page for other insightful posts.
