Late last year, I injured my ribs while training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). I couldn’t train and heal simultaneously, so I had to sit out for a few months. That was difficult and frustrating.

I finally started back up a couple of months ago. But my ribs were still tender. Reinjury was likely if matched with a wild opponent, if the match sped up, or if I tried to power through. I had to figure out what to do.

I could try to find a sport where injuries don’t occur. But that sport doesn’t exist. You can get injured while swimming or doing Pilates. Even elliptical machines are out to get you. And the option of ‘no sport’ is unhealthy in a different direction.

I’m ‘reduced’ to using good technique, moving slowly, and controlling a match’s pace to stay safe. Surprisingly, my injury has improved my ‘game’ or approach to BJJ. I’m a better grappler because of it.

I’ve realized that most of my current ‘game’ has been shaped by injuries – current and past. I’ve had to learn better ways to control the fight to keep training or prevent repeating the injury. Over time, my injuries have built my edge.

As leaders, we experience ‘injuries’ and setbacks too. They might be personal. Or they may occur in our team or organizations. They might be conflicts, a missed or bungled opportunity, a market change, a mistake, or something else.

How can injuries or setbacks build your edge?

Sports Injuries: Maladaptive Behaviors

Athletes often struggle with frustration, impatience, or denial after an injury. They may:

• Not allow themselves time to heal.
• Not put in the work – physical therapy – to heal correctly.
• Fall into depression.
• Quit training and even quit trying to be healthy altogether.

Leadership Setbacks: Maladaptive Responses

Leaders can do the same. They may begin blame-shifting, exercising excessive control, or giving up altogether. They may do many of the same things as athletes:

• Not allowing time to heal.
• Not put in the work to heal correctly or learn.
• Fall into depression or get discouraged.
• Quit trying.

Any of these decisions affect the quality of decision-making, team dynamics, and organizational performance.

Strategies for Leaders to Thrive After Setbacks

I recommend considering these four strategies to grow after an injury. I’m going to frame them as questions:

How should I grow / what should I learn from this? The best leaders take ownership or responsibility for the situation. Was there something that I did (or didn’t) do that contributed to this problem? What can I learn from that? What might I do differently next time?

The win: Growth as a person and leader.

What can I do to improve this relationship? If a relationship has been impacted, it may need to be repaired or improved. Most relationship challenges involve a problem with trust and/or respect. It’s usually valuable to consider how both can be improved.

The win: Better communication. More trust and respect.

What can I do to clarify our systems or improve our structures? The majority of issues in the workplace can be addressed by improving your systems and structure. This usually looks like clarifying roles and responsibilities, communicating expectations clearly, and creating accountability systems.

The win: Clarity, efficiency, and effectiveness.

What can I do to grow our culture? Your culture is how your team, as a group, translates values into decisions and behaviors. When leaders consistently act and decide in alignment with organizational values, they model this for others. Many chronic problems in organizations can be addressed through culture change.

The win: Alignment, resilience, and focus.

Conclusion

Injuries and setbacks happen. The real question is – can your ‘game’ become stronger as a result? Can they make you a healthier, more effective leader?

I would argue that they can.

No one wants to be injured. No one wants a setback. But if you use them as opportunities for growth, they might push you in (better) directions than you ever might have imagined. 

Take good care,

Christian

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