Hidden Costs of Crisis-Mode
Firefighting is essential, but it can’t be a leader’s only mode of engagement with their team. When most interactions center on problems and crises, teams start to feel embattled and frustrated. Smart solutions that could be scaled across the team never reach consideration or awareness because the immediately inciting problem got fixed. People can burn out from constant problem-solving while valuable institutional knowledge about what works gets lost in the shuffle. Perhaps most importantly, relationships suffer when every conversation focuses on fixing what's wrong rather than building on (and appreciating) what's going right.
Alternatively, time spent focusing on wins builds morale, discernment, and capacity across the team. Every win contains the subtle elements that make complex projects successful—the elements that often go unrecognized even by those achieving them, and need visibility and feedback to find their full definition. These hidden success factors represent your greatest opportunity to improve your team’s performance and output.
The Strategic Lever of Studying Success
What happens when we take time to study what works? A sales team's successful approach gets documented and shared, improving results across regions. A project team's innovative solution becomes a replicable practice. A manager's effective handling of a difficult situation becomes a teaching moment for others.
When you do this, you gain:
- Immediate performance improvements from replicating successful practices
- Building momentum through recognition and celebration of wins
- Deeper understanding of what actually drives results
- Stronger relationships built on positive interactions
- More engaged teams who feel their successes matter
This compound effect transforms both individual victories and team dynamics, creating a positive cycle of more wins and more to learn from with a stronger appetite for both.
What Studying Success Can Look Like in Practice
Digging into what’s working doesn't mean ignoring problems — there will always be fires to fight. But we do suggest leaders intentionally create space to understand and build on their team’s experience of success. When something goes well, take time to understand why. Look for the subtle factors that enabled success: what preparations went unnoticed? Which relationships made things smoother? What small innovations had an outsized impact?
For best results, make this exploration systematic rather than occasional. Regular attention to success creates a repository of proven practices your team can draw from. It builds institutional knowledge that prevents repeatedly solving the same problems. Most importantly, it strengthens relationships and mutual respect by creating positive touchpoints beyond crisis management.
Starting Small: Realistic Steps for Busy Leaders
We recognize that any call to shift focus from reactive to proactive isn't easy. But you can start small. Next time something goes well, ask the simple question, “what made this possible?" Over time, you can build recognition of success patterns into your existing routines, creating a natural channel for sharing team wins.
Success study becomes powerful when integrated into your existing workflows rather than added as another task. A project debrief can include some takeaways on what worked well. A team meeting can begin with recent victories. A one-on-one can explore not just challenges but achievements. These small shifts, consistently applied, create significant impact over time — both in terms of performance and in building the team’s confidence and sense of agency.
The Path Forward
Your ability to solve problems got you where you are. Your ability to study, scale, and celebrate success will take you and your team to the next level. Start small, focus on one area where studying success could make a difference, and build from there. The compound benefits of better performance, stronger relationships, engaged teams, and scalable solutions await.
Interested in taking the first step toward studying your wins? Our PULSE workshop helps executive leaders get a feel for what is working in the first place across roles, functions, and regions in a way your team members will actually enjoy. Reach out to abe@leadersatlas.com to learn more.
