The best leaders I’ve been around don’t protect those they’re leading from pain. Rather, they understand the art of allowing the people they’re leading to experience the appropriate amount of pain. They know that pain can be their ally in motivating people to move in the right direction.
1. Prepare People for Pain
It’s not a matter of if…but when. Pain is an unavoidable part of life and leadership. Leaders prepare people to face it appropriately.
2. Consequences can be Painful
Failure is painful…and it should be. Otherwise we’d become comfortable and static in our failure. Sometimes leaders need to allow their teams to feel the consequences of poor decisions.
3. Pain can be an Indicator
Pay attention to pain, because it may be telling you that something is wrong.
4. Pain Forces Change
Change doesn’t happen until the pain of staying where you are becomes greater than the pain of moving to where you need to go.
5. Pain isn’t the Enemy
The problem isn’t pain, but how you respond to it. Pain has the potential to be your greatest season of growth.
6. Don’t Rescue People from Pain
If you rescue your team from pain you’re creating a false sense of reality for them to operate in. Worse, you’re building a codependent relationship and you’re going to have to rescue them again because they’re not going to learn from it the first time around.
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