Small change: take the punches

For a useful reality check, let’s turn to the Stoic philosopher Epictetus.

“But what is philosophy? Doesn’t it simply mean preparing ourselves for what may come… to let anything happen that will?… Otherwise it would be like the boxer exiting the ring because he took some punches.”

These words contain a vivid lesson for any change leader. They suggest that we have each made the active choice to play a game where punches are inevitable.

That means that we don’t get to complain about being hit when it happens. (Easier said than done when you are flat out on the mat with a cracked rib.) Instead, we need to embrace the knocks as an important part of the game and use them as opportunities to improve.

The second consequence is that we each need to prepare (‘train’) in advance for the occasionally brutal nature of our sport. Expecting to get in the ring and not get hit is, at best, a lesson for disappointment. At worst, it will see you out for the count.

Something to consider: how might I condition myself to fare better in the ring?

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