Failure's disappointment

The path to success (or a series of successes) is quite bumpy and swirly. Obstacles can seem as intimidating, insurmountable challenges. However, resistance to your pursuits can only mean you are most likely approaching success. The closer you get, the harder it seems. But you know what? As long as you have invested your best effort into something, even if you have a lower than expected result, you have still won, from the experience. In these situations, try to find out [i]why[/i] the result was not as desired. Observe the things you think were lacking and find strategies to polish them for the next time. Don't be shy to fail. On the contrary, talk to your superiors, ask for constructive criticism (what can you do, is it the main thesis or what is it exactly that they found doubtful) - these same people can pinpoint exactly what to work on to improve your results. Every leader is put in situations where he or she had to guess the "right trajectory" of a project completion, the best way to achieve it with the least chances of failure. That is pretty hard, even the best leaders could judge a situation wrongly. Your team trusts you. They wouldn't if you weren't fit to lead. Maybe ask them too about what they think one by one in a team meeting and hear their ideas. Maybe there could be a detail that could help but that you may have overlooked, with all the pressure on your shoulders. If you think you chose wrong, admit it and work along with your team to fix it. Real leaders are not always right. But they have the guts to admit it when they've judged wrong and to move on to solutions. You're just showing that you are human and that you are not there for them only when things are tip-top - you are also there when they flop. That kind of trust is imperative for a good working environment for the group you are managing. They probably feel discouraged by their own performance and may be blaming themselves too. You have to lead by example. When you fall, get up, reassess your strategy and/or your direction and try again. That is how you eventually reach success. You are missing the silver lining: the fact that your research proposal was accepted (even if they were unsure about it) means that you were given a chance to prove them wrong by realizing a fantastic work.

So... my advice would be... seek advice from the ones above you. Or from the academic center, or inspire yourself from someone whose proposal was "perfect". Even if your thesis can be different. Something in someone else's spotless work can help you perfect your own. Find the weak spots they think your proposal has (directly from them, if possible). Figure out how to strengthen those same parts so that your final project can come out well. If nothing works, change your thesis and try again. Nothing shameful about readjusting something that no longer fits. Adapting to unexpected events without losing your resolve is an art worth exercising every day. Again, challenges are a natural occurrence, like the weather... don't allow them to keep you upset or scared. Just live right through them. Every problem has a solution. Keep going you and your team members, until you find it. I believe you can lead and that your team can succeed :)