We will all be rejected at some point in our lives, both personally and professionally. However, when we hear “no” as a leader, business owner, entrepreneur, or professional, it could be a harder hit to the spirit.
No matter what we were asking for, it is likely that our hopes were high, and we were already planning our lives in anticipation of a resounding yes. So, what happens if we are told the opposite?
Handling the word “no” isn’t as easy as it may sound. Fortunately, a no can be just what we need to get us moving in the right direction.
Leadership Starts With Ownership, So Control What You Can Control
When someone says no, whether it’s an investor, a client, a partner, or even a team member, it can be easy to take it personally. It’s an innate reaction we have as humans. However, smart leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals know how to separate personal from business.
It starts with focusing on what you can and can not control.
You know the common phrase, “You can’t control others, but you can control how you react.” That’s exactly what I mean here. You can’t always control outcomes, but you can control your process, preparation, response, and attitude. You can control the way you present an idea. You can improve your timing. You can control your clarification.
In leadership and entrepreneurship, personal ownership is non-negotiable. Instead of resenting the “no,” it could be better to ask yourself what you could do better next time.
Adjust Your Professional Goals After Rejection
A “no” isn’t answered without any reasoning. While your immediate reaction might be pure confusion and disapproval, your second reaction must be one of reflection. There was a reason you were rejected.
Hearing “no” could be a sign that you need to adjust your professional goals. Your growth plan might need more work. Your team might not be strong enough yet. The market might’ve shifted in a way you didn’t forecast. Whatever might have held you back from a ‘yes’ is your jumping-off point to evaluate your goals.
Remember, adjusting goals doesn’t mean you failed or that you must give up. It’s about refining your path towards your desired outcome.
Start Building Your Professional Resilience
Resilience isn’t built on all the “yes”s you get in your career. Resilience is a necessary trait for leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals, and it is only developed through rejection, hardship, obstacles, and the unknown.
Resilience builds grit. It keeps you from staying down every time you are pushed or rejected. Resilience forces you to get back up, think creatively, seek alternative routes, and keep pushing forward past rejection and letdown. As a professional, resilience is what transforms a “no” from a challenge into an opportunity.
Grow Your Education and Keep Moving Forward
Sometimes “no” just means you didn’t know enough. At least not yet.
The most effective leaders treat rejection as a prompt to learn, not just about their business, but about people, context, and details. This is the time to ask questions like, Was the pitch too early? Was the investor looking for a different type of individual? Did the buyer need something I didn’t fully understand? All of these questions are learning opportunities.
Every “no” is the chance to ask better questions, read more, be curious, and grow your education. Through this time of furthering your education, you will have a better understanding of what is necessary to get a “yes” later on.
Embrace Failure as a Strategic Advantage
When failure is embraced, it is one of the greatest competitive advantages a leader can nurture.
Failure teaches faster than success. It shows you what doesn’t work and why, so you can focus on what might and what you need to do to get there. Great leaders don’t avoid failure. They walk right up to it with a smile on their face. The failures that we go through as leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals build us up, make us innovative, and keep us pushing forward.
If we want to succeed, failure must be involved in the process.
If you lead, build, or invest, the faster you get comfortable with hearing “no,” the faster you’ll find the opportunities within it. If you have further questions or wish to become a stronger leader and professional, contact Anthony Clervi.