I love watching the Olympics! Not because I like all the "sports" (ping pong, trampoline and horse dancing? But that is another blog of some sort). I like hearing the stories of how the Olympians got to the level they are at. This often includes overcoming personal challenges as well as intense training. Sometimes the story is just as much about the coach, parent or mentor.
One story was about Michael Phelps. We've seen him win just about every event in the pool. We've seen him on Wheaties boxes and endorsing all sorts of stuff. We've seen him interviewed by everybody. But, how did he become the dominant swimmer he has been?
Of course, his training included lots of weights, a proper diet, practicing specific techniques, etc. His coach also pushed him in other ways. When Phelps was swimming his coach took his goggles and stepped on them so they wouldn't keep water out and made Phelps continue swimming with water filled goggles. I bet Phelps didn't like that. I bet he wasn't happy with his coach at that moment. But, during a swimming final in the Olympics Phelps had his goggles come lose and allow water in. I'm far from an Olympic swimmer but I imagine having your goggles fill with water can be a bit distracting and these swimmers separate themselves by thousandths of a second. Phelps showed no sign of problem during the race but when he finished you could see him take his goggles off and water empty from them. Oh, and he won by a fraction of a second.
His coach had prepared him to overcome challenges not just by training him to be the most fit and having the best technique. His coach forced Phelps to encounter challenges and learn to overcome them.
As a leader, are you preparing those around you to overcome adversity or do you seek to prevent them from encountering it? Do you care enough about your team to step on their goggles?
Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
