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The third-place play-off between England and France at the 2026 FIFA World Cup highlighted a challenge that every business leader will face at some point.
A major contract is lost. A promotion goes to someone else. An acquisition falls through. A product launch fails to deliver the expected results.
How do you keep a team motivated when the goal everyone has been working towards is no longer achievable?
By the time England and France met, both teams knew they could no longer become world champions. That opportunity had gone with their semi-final defeats. Yet neither team simply went through the motions. There was still pride to play for, momentum to build and a chance to finish the tournament on a positive note.
Businesses regularly find themselves in similar situations. Market conditions change. Budgets are reduced. A key client chooses a competitor. A long-term project is cancelled. The original objective disappears, but the work still needs to continue.
The leaders who respond most effectively understand that while they cannot change the outcome, they can shape what happens next.
We often hear that successful people never give up. Persistence is certainly an important quality, but psychology tells us that resilience is not simply about holding on. Sometimes it is about recognising when a goal is no longer attainable and redirecting effort towards something equally meaningful.
This idea sits at the heart of Goal Adjustment Theory. Research by psychologist Carsten Wrosch and colleagues has shown that people who can disengage from unattainable goals and commit to new ones experience greater psychological wellbeing, lower stress and greater resilience than those who continue pursuing goals that are no longer realistic.
This isn’t about lowering standards or accepting failure. It’s about recognising reality and deciding where your energy will have the greatest impact.
For England, lifting the World Cup was no longer possible. Finishing the tournament with professionalism, pride and momentum still was.
Businesses face the same challenge every day.
Creating a new definition of success
When one goal disappears, another needs to replace it.
Without a new objective, motivation naturally declines because people struggle to see how their efforts still matter.
Imagine your organisation has spent six months preparing a proposal for its biggest prospective client, only to lose the contract to a competitor.
It’s easy for the team to conclude that six months of work achieved nothing.
An effective leader reframes the conversation.
What did we learn about the client’s priorities? Which elements of our proposal were strongest? What new capabilities have we developed? How can those lessons strengthen our next opportunity?
None of these questions changes the result.
They change what happens because of the result.
The same approach applies after a disappointing product launch, a failed acquisition or an unexpected restructuring. While the original goal may no longer be possible, new opportunities to learn, improve and strengthen future performance almost always exist.
This reflects another important psychological principle: psychological flexibility. Rather than becoming stuck in disappointment, psychologically flexible people adapt to changing circumstances while remaining focused on their broader purpose.
Helping teams move forward
Following a setback, leaders often feel pressure to restore morale as quickly as possible. However, simply encouraging people to “stay positive” rarely rebuilds motivation.
According to Self-Determination Theory, developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, people are most motivated when they experience purpose, competence and autonomy. After a setback, leaders can support all three by acknowledging disappointment honestly, identifying what remains within the team’s control and defining a new objective that people believe is worth pursuing.
Resilient organisations are not those that avoid setbacks.
They are the ones that learn quickly, adapt intelligently and continue moving forward with purpose.
How James Todd & Co can help
At James Todd & Co, we understand that organisational success depends as much on people as it does on strategy. We help businesses apply psychological principles to leadership, change and performance, enabling leaders to build resilient teams that remain engaged even when circumstances change.
Whether you’re responding to a failed bid, managing organisational change or helping teams adapt to shifting priorities, we can help you understand the psychology behind motivation, resilience and performance.
Because while setbacks are inevitable, staying stuck doesn’t have to be.