Leading on One Leg

When I went to physical therapy to treat a stubborn case of Achilles tendinitis, I didn’t know what to expect. I certainly didn’t know how many of the exercises would involve standing on one leg. Those exercises taught me a lot about the human body and leadership.

What did I learn?

• Simple exercises are harder than they look. One exercise was to stand on a step on one leg, and bend my knee, gradually lowering my body until the heel on the other foot lightly touched the ground below the step. When the therapist showed me the exercise, I thought, “This will be easy.” But I discovered that the balance and strength required to complete 15 repetitions made it quite difficult. How often do we underestimate the complexity of a leadership task, either one we plan to do or that we assign to someone else?
• Under-use of other muscles caused my problem. The exercise described above, and many of the others in my PT regimen, did not involve my Achilles tendon. When I asked the therapist about this, he explained that I needed to strengthen other muscles. The weakness in those muscles had put extra strain on my Achilles. I was particularly surprised at this, because I am a runner and consider my legs to be very strong. But those one-legged exercises showed that certain muscles were under-used. It’s good to lead from our strengths – up to a point. We also need to be aware how under-developed capabilities may lead to future problems.
• Improvement takes time and effort. I began running again after six PT sessions, and was released after ten sessions. But the work was not over. Those one-legged and other exercises to strengthen my under-used muscles will continue indefinitely. I don’t enjoy doing them, but it’s a small price to pay if it allows me to run again without pain or injury. As leaders, we’re often tempted to believe that a conference or book or program will instantly solve our problems. But lasting solutions always require significant work.

I am thankful to be running again. I haven’t built back up to the distances I was running before my injury, but I think I’ll get there if I keep doing my one-legged exercises. What exercises will help you lead well in the next season?