Resilience: Christian McCaffrey's First Fumble

What happened

On Monday Night Football, Christian McCaffrey lost a fumble in the second quarter against the Commanders, with the 49ers leading 13-3 and the ball at the Washington 21-yard line. Linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson punched it loose and Frankie Luvu recovered it. The AP recap called it McCaffrey's first lost fumble in nearly 550 touches.

He has been in the league for years and is one of the most reliable ball carriers in it. A mistake like that is rare for him, which is why the next few minutes are worth looking at.

Years in the seat do not prevent mistakes

Leaders make mistakes, including the ones who have done the job well for a long time. Experience lowers how often it happens, and it does not bring it to zero. What stood out to me was McCaffrey's reaction right after the play. He was clearly disappointed, and he apologized to his teammates.

Telling the people affected that a mistake was yours matters more than explaining it. "That one was on me" takes a few seconds to say, and it tells the team that you see the cost and that nobody else needs to carry it.

He went back out and scored

McCaffrey scored a 1-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the half to finish a 69-yard drive, putting the 49ers up 20-3 at halftime, according to FanRecap. Washington did not turn the turnover into points. McCaffrey finished with two touchdowns, and San Francisco won 23-17.

A team watches the next play as closely as it listens to the apology. The apology tells them you own it. Going back to work at full commitment tells them the mistake did not change how you show up.

Resilience is a set of behaviors you can practice

Resilience is the ability to overcome adversity or difficulty and to turn the pain, discomfort, or challenge into learning and experience. We cover it in more depth in our post on how to build resilience as a leader. The pieces that show up in a moment like this one:

• Emotional intelligence: noticing your own disappointment and not letting it run the next decision.
• Learning orientation: asking what happened and what you will change, without making it a verdict on you.
• Realistic optimism: seeing the mistake clearly and still expecting the next attempt to go well.
• Adaptability: adjusting the approach when the situation shows it is not working.
• Asking for help: leaning on teammates and peers instead of absorbing it alone.

What to do after your next mistake

1. Tell the people affected that it was yours, before the day ends.
2. Say what you are changing so they know it will not repeat.
3. Go back to the work at full commitment.

When did a leader you worked for own a mistake in a way you still remember?