article from The Daily Coach

 

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston S. Churchill

The flight from Miami back to California had to be a long one for the San Francisco 49ers. The team squandered a 10-point lead over the final nine minutes in the Super Bowl ― the type of devastating finish that can make a season appear as a complete failure to fans, players and coaches alike.

But when coaches and executives attempt to condense a loss into one play, one bad call, or one poor decision, they are shortchanging what transpired and setting themselves up for failure moving forward. One common misconception that comes with this type of defeat is that if we return the same group with everyone working 10 percent harder next year, we’ll be able to “get over the hump.” Simply put, it’s inaccurate.

There must be a “cooling off” period before making any decisions and moving forward. Emotional decisions are always bad decisions. Leaders need to take time away — and examine every facet by themselves without outside interference and without pre-determined judgments by those who can’t evaluate the circumstances.

Uniting everyone over the loss is the first step toward establishing the future agenda.

Looking for answers after a heartbreaking loss can be lonely. But the path forward can only be drawn by a leader who understands the overall vision. Here are some guiding steps to rebound from heartbreak:

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