4. How can you get back on the horse after a setback?

I love horse riding and being around horses. It’s my happy place, my escape and my joy. I rode a lot when I was younger, but other things took priority in my twenties and as many of us find with the interests we had as children, fell by the wayside.

It wasn’t until about six years ago, when I saw women around my age riding, that I thought about getting back in the saddle – literally.

I realised fairly quickly that what I thought about horses, I really didn’t, and that all the confidence I thought I had when it came to horses and riding had gone.

Interestingly, it was around this time that I took on the biggest and hardest role in my career, the first time I had become a fully-fledged CIO. I think at the time I was internalising quite a bit of stress from the job, and my horse could definitely feel it.

It took about two years to get to the point where I could catch, brush and ride my horse. I think because of the rocky journey we’d had, I didn’t feel completely confident around her. My husband observed that he would’ve given up a lot sooner than I did, but that horse taught me so much and allowed me to create a new horse tribe of people I liked and admired.

I fell from my horse, breaking ribs and puncturing a lung. It was painful, and the recovery was slow. I was horrified at the thought of taking the required six weeks off work.

Why did I fall off? To put it simply, I wasn’t listening. I wasn’t reading the signals and I was distracted – she was telling me pretty clearly that things weren’t right, and I’d ignored the signals.

In your career, there may be times where you’re working at the wrong place, with the wrong leaders, and you can miss the signals that something’s not quite right. Maybe you don’t get that promotion or you lose your job, and in hindsight the signals were pretty clear. Things happen, and you have to figure out how to respond and react when they do.

Take the time to understand what happened
Are there accepted norms within your organisation that you tried to step outside? Are you perhaps not the right fit for the company culture? Did you outgrow your role and lose your enthusiasm for a job? Looking at the situation in its entirety - including your role in what went wrong - is essential in order to avoid mistakes in the future.

Create a plan
What do you need to do in order to move forward? Do you need to apologise? Shift your attitude towards a project, role or manager? What is the next logical step in your career progression, and what do you need to do in order to get there?

Ask for help from people you know and respect
A few years ago, I worked for someone who announced that he didn’t mentor anyone and didn’t like his leaders mentoring their subordinates, as he felt it indicated favouritism. That doesn't sit well with me. I’m always working hard to set people up for success, so that when I leave a role there’s someone who can confidently step into my shoes and have an easier transition, due to the training and confidence I have helped to instil in them.

Try new things
A "this is the way we've always done it" attitude is the fastest way to put an end to growth and innovation. I find that instead of attempting to implement big, sweeping changes all at once, small changes made often can be far more effective. 

Take it slow
If you've had a career setback, a very natural reaction can be to dive back into work and work harder. And this is admirable! Just be sure to take the time to reflect on what went wrong and to create a well-considered plan for how you plan to move forward, first.

Do your prep
If you missed out on a promotion, it can be helpful to ask for feedback. If you didn't meet a target or a deadline, have an honest look at your time management and your strategy for hitting that target. Metrics are your friend, so it's important to understand that if you have a tangible goal that you've failed to meet, you can often go back and study measurable aspects of your performance that may have led to the problem.

Put your foot in the stirrup and get back in the saddle!
At some stage, you're going to have to get back on the horse. Yes, it's scary, and yes, you may fall off again - but stumbles are a natural part of any career, and if you're not learning, you're certainly not growing. How you deal with defeat and disappointment makes up a decent chunk of your reputation as a leader, and learning to handle setbacks with grace and maturity is a skill that you can cultivate.

If you feel like you’ve fallen off the career horse and need a little help getting back on track, feel free to reach out.