No Pain No Gain

Don’t shy away from struggle; it’s good for you and your team.

Your growth and your team’s growth comes from the lessons they learn from their struggles.

Leading can be a lot like parenting. You want to protect your kids from life’s challenges, but we all know that you learn a lot from the struggles that life throws at you. Many of the valuable lessons you’ve learned in life have come from the challenges you faced and the mistakes you’ve made.

When you think back to some of the peak experiences that you’ve had in your career, usually challenge is the number one factor that drove your most motivating time. At the time you faced those challenges there was likely some risk involved – the risk of failure combined with the thrill of potential success. It is in those challenges where you grew the most as a person.

In the same way, it’s important for you to challenge your team to improve their performance and support them in the struggle.

Even when your team falls short of the goal, lessons can be learned; you can encourage them to reflect on what they learned and how they will apply it so that they grow. Remind yourself and your team that they are growing stronger together by embracing the challenges of pursuing excellence.

Remember – the best learning for yourself and your team comes from those times of challenge.