“I want you confident and uncomfortable!” These are words I heard from Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer. His team had just made a deep run in the tournament this past March and April, making it to the Final Four. That quote really stood out to me.
As leaders, I think our job is to help our teams become confident. How do we do that? We train them, invest in them, cheer them on and prepare them well so they believe in themselves.
But our job is also to make them a little uncomfortable. That’s what helps them grow. It pushes them past their limits—beyond what they think they can or have done before.
John Thompson, the former Georgetown basketball coach, said, “Comfort is where success goes to die.” I was a big Georgetown fan back in the ‘80s when Patrick Ewing led them to three straight Final game appearances. Thompson believed that making yourself uncomfortable is the key to growth.
This theme from both coaches applies to life and business. We want to be confident as leaders. And we want to build confidence in our teams. How? Preparation. Practice. Then repeat. Get great at the basics. Build that confidence.
Then, make them uncomfortable. Challenge them. Give them stretch assignments. Let them try things that are hard; Things they might even fail at. That’s how they learn. That’s how they grow.
I’ve seen this work in my own life, in business and in the lives of so many others.
