What I've learned (so far) from my knee-replacement surgery

Four weeks ago I had knee-replacement surgery (left knee for those keeping score at home). Since then I've had to get used to some new realities, spent a lot of time in physical therapy, dealt with plenty of pain, and gradually seen strength and flexibility begin to return around my brand new knee joint. I've spent some time thinking about why I needed the surgery, as well as the benefits and adjustments coming my way because of it.

As usual, this has led to some metaphorical thinking on my part. So, here are some things I've learned from getting a new knee that I believe can also apply to leadership, organizational dynamics, systems, relationships, as well as the arc of your life:

My old knee no longer worked. The pain I was in was suggesting this, but getting it examined and having the x-rays confirm I was bone-on-bone removed all doubt that the legacy system of my original knee had to go. Most organizations/teams/people spend more time convincing themselves that they don't need to make a big change than wisely investing the time it would take to actually make and begin to live out the needed change. It doesn't work anymore. Admit it. Change it. Get healthy again.

Pre-surgery reality was a lot of pain. Post-recovery reality promises no pain and new movement/flexibility/the ability to focus on other things since I don't have to focus on my knee anymore. In between those realities is even more pain, hard work, a great deal of discomfort, and the learning-curve on how to fully utilize my new knee-joint. If you, your team, or organization is stuck in the "pre-phase" because you want to avoid the pain of deep change and having to learn how to live in a new reality, my advice is simple: man or woman up, grow a spine, be the steward of your life, team, organization you claim you are, and get on with it. In other words, be a leader. You stay in the "pre-phase" long enough, refusing to take the next step of the hard change, we'll finally refuse to listen to your whining. So will those with the power to get somebody else to do the job you were hired to do.

Because I'm a realitively young knee-replacement patient, I have more muscle mass that has to heal post-surgery than the typical knee-replacement patient. What's the lesson here? Simple. Stop relying on previous strength, success, security. It may in fact now be an obstacle to where you know you're to go next. If what used to be strength for you is now actually holding you back from becoming who and what you could be in the future, stop protecting that old strength. Push through it in spite of the pain, make it bend to new directions and realities, thereby establishing the strength you need for now and what's ahead. What got you here won't take you there.

It has taken a team to give me my new knee, and then an entirely different team to show me how to use it. Dr. Ballard and his team made sure the surgery went "beautifully" (his words), but immediately after the surgery a team at Memorial Hospital stepped in to make sure the first few post-surgery days went exactly as they needed to. Since I left the hosptial, another team of physical therapists are showing me how to use the new knee, how to move from a walker to a cane to finally no assistance at all. Plus, my wife and mom, as well as my daughter when she's visited, have made sure I've had the proper rest, diet, exercise, and encouragement at home to keep me on the road of progress. Don't rob yourself of the gift of the power of a team working together, especially if you're the one "in charge." If you're in a faith-based setting, stop using the word "community" like it's some sort of brand-name and instead take the risk of finding out what it really means. Like I said in one of last week's posts, if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.

Hope you find some of this to be helpful/encouraging/challenging. And remember these words of an anonymous change agent from the past: "It'll feel better when it stops hurting."