I hate strength training.
And by hate, I mean, I hate it with the intensity of 1000 suns.
Why do I hate it? Primarily because I find it boring.
I’m completely happy to head out on a hike multiple times a week, and I have a strong decade+ yoga practice.
But as I approach 50 in a year and a few days, I also know that strength training is important to include in my wellness regimen, especially with a family history of osteoporosis.
With this in mind, I’m setting an intention to incorporate strength training at least twice a week, even if it’s only 20 minutes.
I started yesterday, a quick and entry-level 20-minute lower body sequence.
Of course, today it hurts to walk down the stairs.
Yet I know that ache means progress. I might not like the work, it might not be easy, but it’s important progress.
It strikes me that strength training is a lot like #LeadershipDevelopment (although obviously, I love leadership development).
As we grow in our #leadership, we learn new approaches, get tough feedback, value some techniques more than others. We commit time and effort, sometimes willingly, and sometimes we’d rather get our teeth pulled.
Sometimes it’s painful and we don’t want to dig back in. Sometimes it just feels … hard.
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- We build our emotional intelligence.
- We learn how to balance compassion and pragmatism.
- We learn to think strategically and lead with vision.
- We understand how to bring our authentic selves to how we lead.
- We get better at navigating difficult situations.
Little by little, effort by effort, we become better leaders and colleagues.
We may not always like it–and to be fair, there may be some “exercises” that don’t resonate with us and our personal leadership styles.
But if we stick with it, we become better. Stronger.
Years ago, I leaned into my personal #LeadershipJourney. It hasn’t always been easy; it’s always been rewarding.
So I’ll do my best to stick with my strength training. It won’t be easy, but I’ll see the benefits.
And I encourage you to commit to intentionally developing your leadership this year. It won’t be easy, but it will be rewarding.
And hopefully you’ll LOVE it with the intensity of 1000 suns.
I’d love to hear from you: What’s something that’s hard (and perhaps you don’t particularly enjoy) that you commit to because it ultimately benefits you?
(Full disclosure: This picture is not my arm. It will never be my arm.)
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If you’re ready to commit to YOUR leadership journey, reach out and let’s talk about how we can work together. Much like a personal trainer gets fulfillment from watching their clients get stronger, I love seeing the progress myΒ #ExecutiveCoachingΒ clients make on their leadership when we work together.
Cover image by Ichigo121212 from Pixabay.
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