Self-Guided Course

Navigating Initial Setbacks

Every Main Street leader will face challenges, but not every challenge has to derail your momentum.

In this course, you’ll explore how to navigate early setbacks with honesty, clarity, and confidence. Whether you’re dealing with a project that didn’t go as planned or managing public skepticism, you’ll learn practical tools to recover, realign, and keep moving forward. Setbacks are part of the journey—this course helps you meet them with strength and strategy.

Time: 30 minutes Skill Level: Launching Formal Learning: 100 points

A group of five people greet each other inside a warmly lit coffee shop in Nevada, Iowa, with two individuals in the foreground shaking hands and others smiling in the background. — Nevada, Iowa. Photo by Kand E Productions.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Reframe early setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures.
Apply adaptive thinking strategies to revise goals and expectations.
Build resilience by recognizing your limits and pacing your leadership.
Strengthen credibility and support by engaging allies.
Communicate transparently and strategically after a setback.