Achieving success happens only after you have built sweat equity and have put in the hard work. One of the best triathlon trainers in Arizona coach Frank, taught me the concept of embrace the suck (ETS), which in a nutshell means, to not complain about the hard and rigorous work you need to put in to be successful. For example, while learning to swim, there were many cold mornings where the last thing I wanted to do was jump into an outdoor pool at 5 am. Although the water is heated, it still sucks going from a warm bed to a body of outdoor water. I’ve recently thought about the concept of ETS as it applies to the development of leadership.
In any leadership role, there are assignments, development activities and assignments that will feel like swimming first thing in the morning.
There are things we can take from the world of fitness and embrace the suck as we develop as leaders.
Having a coach/mentor – For athletes and leaders, coaches push us beyond our comfort zone. They find a way to help us become a better version of ourselves. The better the coach the more honest they are with us, which can hurt. ETS means not running away but toward the goal our coaches and mentors are guiding us to, which is to make us exceptional at what we do.
Network – When I lost 20 lbs., learned how to swim and run an 8:30 mile. I also increased the time I spent with professionals in the world of fitness. Ironically, where I grew more as a leader was by developing a more diverse network of other leaders who think differently than me and in some cases were outside my industry. ETS of networking means putting yourself out there and be uncomfortable making new contacts and the well-known disliked activity of NETWORKING.
Family Support –Your spouse and kids should be your biggest fans. I will never forget mile 21 of my marathon. I was exhausted and on the verge of quitting when I heard my daughters yell “daddy!” I stopped for a quick hug. Suddenly, running the remaining 5.2 miles that seemed a herculean task became easier thanks to the support from my family. Learning to embrace the suck here comes down to deliberately and intentionally making out time to spend with your family. If I had to point to one thing that works but is also a sacrifice, then it’ll be to eat as many meals together as a family, uninterrupted. No phones at the table or eating in front of the TV.
Cross Train – After ten years of running a 10-minute mile, it took less running and more swimming, biking and circuit training to run an 8:30-minute mile. At work, take calculated risks and work in a different department. Embrace the suck of signing up for different projects or try moving to a different department.
As you think about what Embracing the Suck means for you, I leave you with a quote from Muhammad Ali –“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”