Early in my career I experienced a pivotal moment. It forced me to rethink everything I thought I knew about my path.
I had poured my energy into field leadership at a company at which I was proud to work. I grew divisions, built strong relationships, and drove what were assessed as excellent results. The natural next step was a corporate role, something that would channel my experience and ambition into a higher profile space with greater impact. I applied for a corporate leadership role with enthusiasm and thought I’d interviewed well. But then I got the news that there was “someone who was a better fit.” I didn’t get clarity about what “better” meant or why I wasn’t the best choice. But I no longer felt certain or confident about my place in this organization.
At that moment, I had to ask myself hard questions: “Was this role really for me? Or is my next chapter somewhere else?”
This setback turned out to be the beginning of a major shift. Up until that point, I’d defined myself by my job title, the P&L I managed, and my company’s brand. Not getting my expected next role caused me to think hard about my values and my goals. What did I really want my work to accomplish? Who did I want to be as a leader? What did I want to bring to any organization, apart from title or status?
I realized I wanted to align my career with my values, focusing on areas that allowed me to help organizations achieve their goals while also valuing their employees. My fresh perspective enabled me to shift into executive coaching and consulting, where I could leverage my strengths and help others thrive. While the transition wasn’t easy, I realize that I’ve been able to have a positive impact on a greater number of companies and employees in this way than I ever could have in my early “dream” role.
By defining myself through my own values and ambition, rather than through a title assigned by an employer, I gained a clarity and resilience that now guides every career decision. This shift taught me the power of defining oneself not by roles or relationships but by personal values, passions, and the responsibility to choose a path that aligns with them.
Detours Create Different Paths
Career setbacks are more than unexpected detours; they’re opportunities to redefine our purpose and strategies. As leaders, experiencing a demotion, missed promotion, or denied project can bring a flood of emotions. We might feel disappointment, embarrassment, and even self-doubt. But the way we choose to respond to these setbacks reveals our resilience, adaptability, and ultimate potential as leaders. After the initial shock or let down, you might need to do some reframing, understanding that a delay, denial or demotion is an organization’s way of saying “Now is not the time.” You may not have been in the optimal state of readiness from a skills standpoint. Maybe you weren’t as prepared for a managerial role as decision-makers expected. Maybe it means that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not now doesn’t mean not ever.
One thing that is critical to note about a career redirection in your journey: it is not separation. If an organization did not value you, you’d no longer have a role within it. While stepping into a post with less responsibility feels uncomfortable and disappointing, it is a chance for a reset.
Moving on from a setback requires introspection, constructive feedback, and a plan of action to transform negative emotion into fuel for future growth.
Career Redirection Action Steps
Step 1: Embrace and Process Your Emotions
Acknowledging disappointment and processing the emotions that accompany it is non-negotiable. Ignoring or suppressing feelings of frustration, embarrassment, or anger only prolongs their impact. Giving yourself permission to feel disappointed can create a constructive release, allowing you to shift to problem-solving with a clearer head. If you have a therapist, mentor, or executive coach, consider bringing up these feelings in those safe settings to explore them in a more supportive environment.
Step 2: Seek Constructive Feedback and Listen
Receiving feedback from supervisors, peers, and trusted colleagues can help you assess where you go from here. Seek specific insights and look for patterns and common themes without becoming defensive or over-explaining the context. Keep feedback focused on improvement: Are there skills or behaviors that require more development? Did external factors play a role? Are you leaning into your strengths?
This can be difficult, as many of us have trouble opening up to a view of ourselves beyond our own perspective. However, receiving feedback openly, and without attempting to justify or contextualize, is the only way to gain unbiased insights about areas of growth. Feedback may confirm a few suspicions and validate some feelings. But it may also offer eye-opening perspectives on skills or areas you hadn’t previously considered.
Step 3: Redefine Your Personal Vision
One of the most powerful actions you can take after a setback is to clarify your personal vision and values. This process might mean reflecting on your passions and the impact you want to have. For instance, you might ask yourself, “What values do I want my work to reflect?” or “What kind of leader am I committed to being?” Establishing a strong, values-driven foundation helps you make decisions in alignment with your goals, while providing a roadmap that transcends any single position.
Keeping a clear personal vision at the forefront of your professional activities also enables you to view every career challenge or opportunity on a continuum. You are either moving closer or further away from your end goal with the choices you make. Evaluating scenarios in relation to your personal vision, like leading a project or being passed over for a promotion you thought you deserved, helps you assign them the importance they deserve.
Step 4: Redirect Your Energy into a Plan
Once you’ve processed your emotions, received feedback, and crystallized your personal vision, it’s time to channel that energy productively. Create a concrete plan that outlines steps for both immediate improvements in your current role and the personal and professional goals that you want to achieve.
Start by assessing where you stand in your current role: What are the specific areas you need to excel in, and how can you execute these responsibilities at a higher level? What tasks can you own more fully to demonstrate your readiness for future opportunities? By committing to perform at a level that exceeds current expectations, you’re building a record of excellence that positions you for future advancement.
Step 5: Model Resilience and Positivity
Resilience in leadership is not about maintaining a flawless record. It’s about how we handle setbacks. As you work through recovery, remember that your team and peers are watching. Show up with integrity, keep your head high, and take each opportunity to display agility and adaptability. This is your moment to model how to move through adversity constructively.
Remember Nelson Mandela’s wisdom: “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up.”
By continuing to persevere, you show what leadership looks like when work becomes hard, reinforcing credibility.
Step 6: Rethink and Re-Engage with Purpose
Some setbacks can prompt you to reevaluate your path entirely. For instance, if you feel your role no longer aligns with your aspirations or values, consider whether it’s time to explore different directions within or beyond the organization. A setback may even present the opportunity to pursue work more aligned with your true calling. This could mean gaining new skills, switching industries, or simply refocusing your current role on projects that align better with your strengths and passions.
Evaluate whether a new direction could fulfill your long-term goals, and do not be afraid to pursue it. Look at your options not through the lens of past disappointments but as a chance to build a more meaningful and purpose-driven career.
Step 7: Update Your Brand with Key Stakeholders
In the process of recovering from a setback, let those with whom you work — or want to work — know about your progress. Maybe they knew you before the setback and assigned to you a reputation you did not fully earn. Or their perspective is outdated, and you need to bring them current. Once your development plan is in progress and you’ve achieved some quick wins, make it a point to meet with the people who need a window into your growth and renewed sense of purpose.
Step 8: Establish a Timeline and Practice Patience
Career recovery and growth are processes. Achieving real transformation can take months, or even years. Focus on steady, incremental progress. Track your goals, celebrate small wins, and be patient as you work toward your next opportunity.
Leaders who have weathered setbacks attest that sustained focus lays a solid foundation for long-term success.
Moving Forward
Leadership is often defined by how we respond to adversity. With a mindset focused on growth, resilience, and self-definition, we can turn even the toughest career setbacks into launching pads for something more profound. By processing our feelings, seeking feedback, channeling our energy, and remaining aligned with our personal values, we can move forward with renewed clarity and strength.
