Lifting Weights, Failure, and Growth (9-7-16)

Last week we talked about how doubt can be a dowsing rod that leads us to growth. This week I want us to think about lifting weights, failure, and development.

If you read any fitness magazine it will tell you that if you want to gain strength you need to lift weights. More specifically, it will tell you to lift weight heavy enough to the point where you are only able to do 8-10 reps per set. The idea is that by the 10^th rep you’ve lifted so much weight that your muscles are unable to lift more. Your muscles essentially FAIL at lifting the weight.

If you do this often enough your muscles basically say, “I’m tired of failing. I need to get stronger,” and your body goes through the process of enhancing your muscles and your strength. Over time you’ll gain strength and you will be able to lift more weight than you did before, and then the cycle begins again. (Obviously anatomy wasn’t my strong suit based on that technical explanation of developing muscles). The bottom line is that you have to push yourself to the point of failure in order to make your muscles grow and gain strength.

What does lifting weights have to do with development and failure? I feel that when we think of failure we think of these humongous disasters that lead to us getting down on ourselves. We don’t have to look at failure that way. Failure isn’t something that has to get us down. Failure is just a sign that we are pushing ourselves. If you aren’t failing you aren’t pushing. If you aren’t pushing then you can’t grow. When I work out I don’t say, “I could only do 8 reps at that weight, so I’m the worst person ever!” Instead I’m filled with pride at the fact that I pushed myself hard and I’m filled with a desire to keep doing better. Instead of feeling down I say, “I pushed myself as far as I could on this day. I’m not as strong as I want to be, but I know I can be stronger next time.” Then as I continue to work out I push myself until before I know it, I’m stronger and faster than I have been.

My current role. I’ve now been in my role for about a month. I’m not as clever or as smart as I’d like to be. I can’t move as quickly as I did when I’ve been competent in other roles. I’m not quite able to lift the weight I want to lift…YET. Every day is another small failure. Every day is another day to push to fall just short of the high bar I set for myself. I don’t feel discouraged though. I feel proud and excited, because every day I can see where I’m getting better and stronger. I can’t wait until I feel like I’m full on beast mode.

The challenge: Are you pushing yourself hard enough to fail? Are your failures helping you become stronger?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Learning like Rogue (1-13-16)

Last week we asked what your name would mean as a verb. Once you know what you want your name to mean, the question is, “How can I grow to make this a reality?” We’ll answer this question by thinking about a comic book character named Rogue. Rogue is a mutant in the Marvel universe who has the ability to absorb powers by touching someone. For example, if she touched the Hulk she would gain super strength or if she touched Spider-man she could climb walls. In short, Rogue enhances her powers by leveraging the people around her.

What if we could learn and develop like Rogue? Imagine for a moment you wanted to become a better strategic thinker. All you would have to do is find someone who is a great strategic thinker, give them a high five, and then you would absorb their skills. How cool would that be?

What does this have to do our jobs? If I’ve ever done anything to impress you, there is a 99.4% chance that what I did is either a new skill I’ve picked up from someone or one of my natural talents that has been made stronger by adding what I’ve learned from someone else. The other .6% of me impressing you is with my beard and I take full credit for that 😉 Although we can’t develop skills like Rogue, we can still absorb skills from each other. I’ve found that my learning can come from more than formal coaching sessions or one off events. I’ve learned that if I spend a little time being more observant and intentional I can take away lessons by watching how the people around me operate and look at the world. I can take their strengths and learn from them to make myself better.

Every day we tackle challenges that require dynamic leadership, strategic thinking, great communication, and many more skills. Every one of these moments is a chance to look at our peers and learn from them. Every moment is a chance to jot down those great strategic questions that Bob asked during the meeting, so you can apply them to other projects. It’s a chance to observe what it was about Sally’s leadership that caused her to be successful and how you could add that to your skill set. It’s a chance to watch Bill solve a problem and then apply his thought process to other obstacles you are facing. It’s an opportunity to be impressed by Susie’s presentation and ask her how she decided to tell the story in that way so you can prepare in a similar fashion. If we do this right it becomes a beautiful cycle of observing->absorbing->growing.

We work with some incredibly gifted and talented people. What if we could tap into all of those superpowers to make ourselves better? Are you taking advantage of learning from those around you? How are you absorbing their superpowers and putting them to good use? Who will you teach and who will you learn from?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Be like the Grinch (12-16-15)

This week will be the last blog of 2015. I hope that you have a wonderful and relaxing holiday break with your friends and families. Last week we looked at Rudolph and being “neutral”. This week we will look at another Christmas special, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”

During this holiday season I all hope we are like the Grinch. Pretty strange thing to say, right? Let me explain why I feel this way. You may know the story of the Grinch. He is grumpy creature who decides he will try to steal Christmas from the Whos He concocts an elaborate scheme and then steals all of the presents, decorations, etc. in an effort to ruin their holiday. This negative attitude is what we often associate with the Grinch, but this isn’t the end of his story. The Grinch grows as a character, and if you remember our Rudolph story last week life is all about growing, changing, and becoming better.

The Grinch has stolen the gifts, and then he hears the Whos singing, and all of a sudden it hits him right as his sleigh full of gifts starts to go over the cliff. “And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say – that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of *ten* Grinches, plus two!” He saves the gifts from falling into the cliff, rides into Whoville, and serves the roast beef at the feast.

The reason I hope we are all like the Grinch this year is because he grows and becomes a better person. He begins filled with apathy, malice, and grumpiness, and then he allows love in and it fundamentally changes him. How have you changed and grown this year? Imagine how different the world be if all of our hearts grew like the Grinch’s. Here is to all of us hearing music, seeing the signs, and knowing what it feels like when our hearts grow three sizes in a day.

Have a jolly good day and wonderful holidays,

Andrew Embry