There are countless conversations happening about the promises of AI transformations, yet none spend time talking about the very real pain cave that organizations must go through to reach the promised land. EVERY transformation creates a pain cave.
A pain cave is either a source of strength and resilience or a force of destruction. In ultra training, the pain cave is when your body screams at you. It’s when no amount of sugary or salty snacks have effect, when random parts of your body, like your third toe on your right foot threaten to mutiny and fall off. It is when finding a rock and sitting makes you contemplate ‘is this the moment to call the helicopter?’ The pain cave also happens in less dramatic, non-toe mutiny moments of change. I’m currently in an 18-month standoff from replacing my favorite wool sweater. I continue to live with the giant holes, because I cannot bear the pain cave.
When ultra training, I need a certain amount of time in the pain cave. If done right, I find myself. I fine tune my strategies for refueling, identify targets for gym strengthening and build my mental stamina. In the cave is where I found my mountain mantra – FORWARD. The pain cave has been my force for powerful transformations and deep resilience.
Until it’s not. After my DBS surgery, I had grand ideas to launch myself back into my mountain training regimen. I found the pain cave. I suffered. I did not get stronger. Instead, I was on a path of destruction. Why? It’s simple and humbling; I wasn’t listening to my body. My body was saying it needed more time. Better control of the dystonia. Less pain. I needed targets in line with my reality.
Which loops me back to organizational transformations. Leading change starts with trust. A leader must be credible on the promises for why everyone should follow them into the pain cave. A leader must monitor the team during the pain cave – what’s the feedback, what’s working, what’s hurting, what is missing in the team and causing problems? A leader adapts the pain cave to ensure their team comes out stronger, resilient and more vibrant. I’ve lost count of the number of times leaders talk about change and make statements like – ‘well everyone is just going to have to get on board’. I mentally translate that to ‘because I say so’, which from a leadership perspective, is probably the most ineffective and non-inspiring vision to put forward.
Transformational leadership does not decimate the team spirit, but instead brings the team through the pain cave to the promised view, connected and agile, with renewed strength. This is the bedrock of success in transformations.