What Do My Broken Knee and Leadership Have in Common?

When I was enjoying my favorite ski run in Colorado in January of 2020, I had no idea it would soon become a ride down the mountain in a stretcher, a trip to the hospital, and a parting gift of a knee brace and a set of crutches.

After surgery, it was clear that my life was about to be drastically altered. I needed a wheelchair for long distances, no driving, no going up and down the stairs alone, and simple things like laundry were exhausting.

Then it hit me. Successfully getting through this trial was going to take resilience, collaboration and growth. I had to enlist friends who could take me places, help me up and down stairs and assist me with simple chores. I had to persist in strengthening my “bad” leg and learn to "walk" differently than I had done in the past. Most of all, I learned to have greater empathy for others on crutches!

Becoming a great leader is much like my knee recovery experience. Great leaders accomplish their goals through a collaborative team. They need to strengthen areas that are weak and learn to do things differently. And to lead well, they need to build empathy and understanding for their people and their customers.