by Robert
Do you expect to get physically fit or stay fit without any training? Certainly not! It’s clear to all of us that if we want to improve our physical condition, we must work on ourselves. And it’s not enough to go to the gym once a year or maybe once a month. We need to train more frequently and consistently. The same principle applies to the skills we need as leaders. We can’t develop or even maintain these skills if we use them irregularly and too seldom. Our leadership muscles will simply atrophy.
Routine and Discipline:
Just as we schedule regular gym sessions to ensure consistent progress in our physical fitness, dedicating specific times for leadership development activities—such as workshops, reflection, or mentorship—can guarantee ongoing growth in our leadership capabilities.
To bring this concept to life, let’s examine a common scenario: In many institutions, annual performance reviews are often seen as a cumbersome duty. Ask yourself, how do you feel during these discussions? First of all, one is expected to assess a team member’s performance “objectively” over the entire year. I enclose this task in quotes because I’ve yet to see a metric that allows for this over an entire year. Then, we also need to discuss this evaluation with the team member and provide relevant feedback. Without regular engagement throughout the year, these conversations can quickly become uncomfortable for everyone involved, turning these vital reviews into nothing more than a procedural formality. The real objective of the process—to offer feedback on professional growth, highlight potential areas for development, and most importantly, to motivate—is lost.
However, what if we shifted to discussing performance and goal achievement on a weekly basis? Stefanie and I have discovered that, with a few weeks of practice, such “Performance Meetings” begin to resonate positively with all participants, effectively achieving the goals mentioned above. Every single week! This approach not only cultivates and sustains our performance management muscle through regular exercise.
But the parallels to physical workouts don’t stop there.
Variety in Training:
In physical workouts, cross-training is often recommended to ensure the balanced development of different muscle groups. Similarly, a variety of leadership exercises focusing on different skills—from communication and empathy to strategic planning and adaptability—can create a well-rounded, effective leader.
You as a leader are a decathlete. You need all of our leadership muscles, and thus you need to train them all. I have a very mixed opinion about leadership trainings that deal with a topic in isolation. While it can certainly help make better decisions in specific situations, it will do little to develop one’s own leadership style, as this requires a holistic approach. Just as I wouldn’t become a good decathlete by only training pole vaulting, I won’t become a good team leader by only being good at managing conflict-laden conversations. We need to find a workout with a wide range of exercises that address all of our leadership muscles. This is especially true in the beginning. Once I’m a good leadership athlete, I can then start training individual muscles very specifically, for example by learning coaching, Neuro-Linguistic Programming or further educating myself on ethical leadership. But as I said, I won’t be able to find my own leadership style this way, just complement it with skills. Your leadership journey is also a path of self-discovery. Along the way, you will learn more about yourself, identifying both your strong and your weak muscles in leadership. This insight allows you to determine which training could further your development.
Progressive Overload:
Athletes increase the intensity of their workouts over time to continue making gains. In leadership development, gradually taking on more challenging scenarios, projects, and responsibilities can similarly strengthen your skills and adaptability.
This is something unavoidable. Initially, your team might consist of just one person: you. At this stage, you’ll find yourself negotiating conflicting interests, such as choosing between different tasks, on your own. Then, when you hire your first team member, you remain part of the equation, but now you have to manage conflicts involving another person. This marks your entry into the next level of leadership. As your team expands, you’ll also need to address conflicts between team members. Failing to enhance your leadership skills accordingly—from self-leadership to what might be termed external leadership, and then to interpersonal team leadership—can lead to significant challenges. This only hints at the extensive leadership development journey ahead. The larger your team becomes, the greater your opportunities, but the complexities will also increase.
Recovery and Reflection:
Just as rest days are critical for physical recovery and growth, taking time to reflect on your leadership experiences, successes, and failures is vital for learning and improvement.
As a new PI, finding yourself suddenly responsible for budgets, for success or failure – and also people – is a substantial aspect of leadership. Every effective leader takes this responsibility seriously. While leadership has its rewards, it also comes with challenges: the constant responsibility can be draining. Just like physical muscles need time to recuperate after exercise, our leadership muscles require periods of rest. For many top leaders, completely disconnecting for a few days twice a year to attend a retreat is a standard practice. These retreats are dedicated times for self-reflection, where experienced coaches aid in navigating the pressures of leadership and exploring ways to lessen these demands. You too can adopt this approach. Whether it involves attending a structured leadership retreat or simply taking time off during a vacation, it’s important to allow yourself breaks from responsibilities, as muscles develop during rest, not while training.
Train together:
Working out in a team is not only more enjoyable but also keeps us engaged. As a leader, it’s common to feel isolated; this is a sentiment we’ve frequently expressed. However, you don’t have to go it alone. Having a peer group with whom you can consistently discuss leadership topics is akin to joining a running group. Meeting up for these sessions greatly increases the likelihood of you engaging in the activity. Moreover, training becomes more enjoyable, easier, and you’re more inclined to stretch your limits when done in a community setting. A peer group offers the same benefits. Here, you’ll discover others facing similar challenges. Together, you can assess situations, devise solutions, and reflect on any doubts or uncertainties in your actions with support from your peers.
Leadership, like any skill, requires dedication, practice, and the application of effective strategies and training. To help you exercise your Leadership muscles, we’re excited to announce our upcoming Social Media series helping you to build specific leadership muscles, such as your “Communicator Effectivus” or your “Solverus Problematum.” This series will provide practical tips, strategies, and exercises tailored to enhance your leadership skills, one muscle at a time.
Stay tuned and be sure to follow us on X, Bluesky, Threads, Facebook, and/or LinkedIn so you don’t miss out on guidance that will assist you in becoming a more effective, resilient, and compassionate leader. Join us, and let’s strengthen those leadership muscles to their fullest potential!
–Robert