The Muscles & Mentalities of Monumental Leaders | Business ...

To be great at just about anything ? we must do some work. To bench press 200 pounds, we must start lifting weights that are a bit smaller than we hope to one day handle. To bike 100 miles, we must practice pedaling for shorter increments. To ace calculus, we must fumble through foreign formulas until they become familiar. Two of these are physical endeavors, one is mental. All are arduous.

Anytime we want to do something well ? there?s an open invitation on the table to practice. There should also be a warning that says, ?You are bound to venture out of your comfort zone if you move forward. It will be scary. You might feel fearful. It probably won?t always be pleasant. Are you sure you?re ready??

When you want to get in shape, and you?re determined to do it at any cost, you welcome the pains and strains. You expect them. In fact, sometimes, these aches are our way of acknowledging that we?re doing things differently with our bodies. When you look in the mirror or get on the scale, it all becomes worth it. The physical cost and the physical benefit are fairly easy to assess at all times. When you?re not getting the results you want, you have the opportunity to change course, revamp the workout, and see if another way will work better. And when you decide it?s not worth it, you also sort of (sadly) realize that positive results are really unlikely to show up on the scene any time soon. You stop expecting the rewards or the disappointment because you?ve stopped ? altogether.

So, why is it that when we decide we want to be a better manager or lead at a higher level, we don?t expect that the same aches and pains will naturally be a part of the journey? All too often, when individuals embark upon the journey of learning how to lead well, they stop dead in their tracks, surprised at the resistance they encounter. But, don?t we all know by now that going against the grain always requires more work? We build strength. We build muscle. We establish endurance. None of this is possible if effort isn?t part of the equation.

I think one of the best things someone can do if they start to dream of bigger and better things for him/herself ? is to realistically assess the challenges that will come with the unfamiliar territory. By forming practical perspectives and expectations, you are less likely to get discouraged by the bumps in the road. If you anticipate the worst and prepare for the hardest, you can only be pleasantly surprised by the less-prominent potholes that get in the way. On this note, this also means that if you think you?re a SuperSTAR leader, but you?ve never done a darn thing to work at it?I?d reassess your SuperSTAR status. What makes you so sure you just got lucky & ended up on top? Don?t fool yourself. It takes work to be a great leader; very few, if any, individuals?inherently?become one-in-a-million leaders without doing a million & one things.

Don?t let that discourage you. Let it motivate you to become one of the elite. Good leaders aren?t a dime a dozen, and there?s a reason: the work isn?t always easy, and it?s only the nonpareils that persist and prevail. What is your reason for remaining dedicated to becoming a SuperSTAR leader? Tell us by commenting below; we?d love to hear from you!

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