Growth is good. Growth is also important. Growth is necessary to become the leaders we are supposed to be for the people we serve. As leaders, we should want to grow and create an environment for the people we lead to grow. Although growth is necessary and we should desire to grow, growth can be painful. Have you ever experienced growing pains? I have. I had some growing pains in my teenage years as I grew into this 6-foot-3-inch frame. But the growing pains I am talking about here happen in our minds and stretch us to become better leaders, influencers, and decision-makers for our family, teams, community, and organizations.
As leaders, we must challenge ourselves and put ourselves in situations that will force us to grow. Unfortunately, growth doesn’t happen automatically, or at least continual growth doesn’t. It’s more than reading books, attending conferences, workshops, and seminars. It’s even more than having discussions with a coach or mentor. To experience growth and the growing pains that come with it, it’s about taking action. We must apply what we learn in our daily routines and understand that doing things the way they always have been done and following the status quo does not promote growth. But when we decide to do things differently and change systemic norms, we will grow and, in the process, experience some growing pains. These growing pains are good because, by taking action, we and those we lead are stretched and challenged to develop new habits, thoughts, and systems.
As leaders, the growing pains we experience can cause frustration, mental fatigue, and even anger. But we must push through those obstacles and frustration and make the necessary adjustments to continue moving forward. Similarly to the discomfort I felt as a teenage boy during my growth spurt, we must endure the discomfort of not having all the answers and/or not knowing how something will turn out because of the uncertainty caused by the actions of change. As we grow through this process, we, as leaders, and our people can become wiser and have stronger systems by enduring the pain of growth.
