Growing through the pain
Adobe
ChatGPTI suffered from severe growing pains as a child. My legs would become so sore at night I could hardly stand it. I'd tell my mom that my legs were killing me, and she'd reply that my leg pain was a good thing. It meant I was growing! Back then, I was big into basketball. Growing pains were positive news.
My experience taught me that growth is generally painful. We naturally like to be comfortable, and growth disrupts our comfort.
Sitting on the couch playing video games is relaxing. Getting up, putting on sneakers, and going for a 5K jog is not.
I've found that the best growth comes on the heels of the worst pain. If you're lifting weights and your arms never feel sore, you're probably wasting your time.
Muscle gain occurs once the weightlifting starts to hurt. When I was trying to run a 5K in my neighborhood, I would start out with good intentions.
Nevertheless, as soon as I came to the first hill, running started to hurt, and I would begin to walk. I followed that pattern day after day.
Eventually, I realized it wasn't a running issue; it was a pain tolerance issue. I wasn't willing to run through the pain. Until I was, I'd be doing a lot of walking and get no closer to my goal of being a runner.
To become a runner, I had to face the pain.
Leaders often get trapped in a similar cycle. They progress for a while until further growth involves pain. Then they hunker down and try to lead within their comfort zone. I see this pattern often.
Some people might not enjoy developing sermons, so every few years, after preaching through their complete sermonic inventory, they begin looking for a new church where they can reuse all those old sermons.
Some leaders struggle to delegate. They know they need to improve in that area, but they inevitably find reasons to avoid changing.
Growing as a leader involves learning new skills. It requires trial and error. Reading and studying might be necessary. Mistakes are inevitable.
Rather than undergoing the uncomfortable process of growth, many leaders decide to keep doing what they've always done.
The irony is that pain is also inherent in staying the same. There are painful consequences when someone refuses to grow as a leader.
I've seen this scenario play out with parenting. Some parents are great at nurturing a six-year-old. But when their child turns 16, their parenting techniques are no longer adequate.
If they don't learn how to relate to a teenager, they are destined to experience pain! People who never learn to delegate will ultimately face exhaustion and burnout.
Leaders who never grow will have to endure the consequences of a stagnant organization.
Discomfort will occur either way. The question is, which pain will you choose? Will you embrace the pain that comes from growth? Will you suffer the painful consequences of stagnation and atrophy?
Leading a growing organization isn't easy. You will face increasingly challenging problems. You may be responsible for managing a large number of people. You'll have to handle a greater volume of decisions.
But that pain is good. It's the discomfort that comes from doing something well. I often talk with leaders who are trying to keep a handle on their growing organization.
There are new challenges to overcome, emerging leaders to train, and untapped markets to develop. Long hours may be required.
But inevitably I will smile at those leaders and quip, "There are worse problems!"
Other organizational pains result from remaining the same. People begin leaving when they realize their organization isn't going anywhere.
Money, resources, and opportunities become scarce. Stagnation squeezes the life and joy out of an organization.
People lose their zeal and hope for the future. It can be demoralizing for a leader to be dead in the water. Such organizations require a caretaker, not a leader.
So, choose your pain. If you are currently suffering through leadership growth pains, don't lose heart!
That pain may prove you are growing and becoming stronger. Those are good pains. Embrace them.
 | Richard Blackaby is the president of Blackaby Ministries International and lives in Georgia. He travels internationally speaking on spiritual leadership in the home, church, and marketplace as well as on spiritual awakening, experiencing God, and the Christian life. Richard regularly ministers to Christian CEOs and business leaders. He has written or co-authored 33 books . This article was first published on RichardBlackaby.com. Used with permission from Blackaby Ministries International. Learn More » |
More on Leadership Development & Discipleship
- It matters not how small your gift — God will use it (by Tom Crenshaw)
- The courage to take responsibility (by David Bowman)
- What C.S. Lewis said after landing his dream job (by Jordan Raynor)
- 9 signs your church is ready to reach unchurched people (by Carey Nieuwhof)
