As a coach for several decades in sports ranging from rugby, cricket and softball to basketball, cycling and tennis, I have been the cause of a lot of pain in my athletes. (And no Kyle not just a pain in the ass.) Not all pain is good, in fact, pain generally is a sign that one should stop doing whatever it is that![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/weights-300x168.jpg\")
is causing the pain. It\u2019s a body\u2019s way of informing that all is not right. However, there are certain types of pain that are necessary if one is to grow faster, stronger, quicker, more agile, fully prepared for the rigors of athletic competition. Coaches, athletes and trainers have to be able to distinguish the types of pain; one that signals the body is getting stronger from one that signals the body is breaking down.<\/p>\n
Samuel Chand suggests in his book, Leadership Pain, that all leaders experience pain and that raising one\u2019s pain threshold is necessary to grow as a leader. In this premise he is referring to the type of pain that good coaches put their athletes through in pre-season conditioning or weight training. This type of pain should not be avoided and in raising the pain threshold leaders will grow stronger and gain greater ability to lead.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n All of this is true, but one must also be alert to those times that the pain being experienced is a sign to stop before serious damage is done. It is certainly valid that \u201cone\u2019s inability or unwillingness to face pain will limit one\u2019s progress\u201d,[2]<\/a> but it should also be remembered that not all pain is growth.<\/p>\n Bobby Knight coached the Indiana University basketball team to 3 NCAA National Championships John Wooden on the other hand won 10 NCAA basketball titles in 12 years with the UCLA Bruins.[4]<\/a> He however was revered by his players as a leader who understood how to push his players to the While the text presented multiple scenarios about specific leaders needing to make difficult decisions in dismissing co-workers and friends not ready or capable of leading at the next level there is evident an underlying assumption that bigger is better, that numeric growth is a sign of God\u2019s blessing and confirmation that people are growing in their leadership capabilities. I look at the life of Moses and wonder whether or not he ever fully developed as a leader in that regard. He seems to me to represent and unwilling leader thrust into a role who consistently wants to abdicate his God-given responsibilities. When we raise up standards of leadership such as power, influence, numeric growth as testament to God\u2019s blessing we risk causing irrevocable damage to others in service to our own ego.<\/p>\n This text was a challenge for me, as have been several of the others this semester, because I have been in a season of extreme pain and yet I am not sure that it is healthy nor am I convinced that it has anything to do with leadership. While I do maintain several leadership positions currently, the pain being experienced does not seem to be related to these roles. Chand suggests that; \u201cIf you\u2019re leading, you\u2019re bleeding\u201d but, just because you are bleeding does not mean you are leading.<\/p>\n In a doctoral program that is designed to prepare students in their ability to lead how should one utilize the text by Chand? In my unrefined reflections in the midst of personal anguish, with extreme May we all grow in our leadership ability, press into the pain that grows us while being certain to instill confidence, character, and Godliness in those we are leading as well as those with whom we are leading. I prefer the John Wooden model.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Chand, Samuel R.\u00a0Leadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth<\/em>. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015. P. 21<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Borrett, Mark. “LEADERSHIP PAIN: THE CLASSROOM FOR GROWTH.” Andrews University JACL – Journal of Applied Christian Leadership. Accessed April 12, 2018. http:\/\/aujacl.com\/the-quick-brown-fox-jumps-over-a-lazy-dog\/.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/bobbyknightinterview-300x176.jpg\")
and amassed 902 Division 1 wins during the course of his career, ranking him third currently on the all-time wins list.[3]<\/a> Yet, he was known for his extreme outbursts of rage and causing psychological damage in his players. These eventually became too frequent and extreme to ignore and he was dismissed from his head coaching position in 2000. The pain that he both caused in his players and experienced as a result of his firing, was a direct result of his imbalance. Sometimes the pain threshold is there for a purpose and part of God\u2019s design to make us alert to imbalances in our lives.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/johnwooden_tuesdaysthought-300x169.jpg\")
brink and drawing them together as a team to be better than they were as individuals. His players looked to him as a father figure, a man of genuine character, and one who truly cared more about his athletes than he did about his own coaching record.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/helping-300x158.jpg\")
caution, constant prayers for the wisdom of Solomon, and strong relationships of accountability from outside one\u2019s position of leadership. Yes, certainly there is no growth without pain and we should all be alert to our tendencies to avoid this type of pain. But, we should also be cautious of celebrating pain for its own sake and hurting people because we think it represents part of the necessary process of growth. A wise coach will push her\/his athletes toward the brink, then allow them to recover sufficiently that they may become a more integral part of the team or recognize in themselves a desire to move on.<\/p>\n