Muscling Through It

4/10/25

“You can’t do more because you’re just muscling your way through it.”

That’s what my CrossFit coach told me after I hit a wall. I was strong enough to move some weight—but not strong enough to move more. Why? Because I was relying on the same old muscles I’d built over years of boot camps and basic lifting I learned in high school. Those muscles were familiar. But they had limits.

To lift more, I had to build and use new muscles. I had to learn proper technique that activated parts of me I hadn’t used before. That process was uncomfortable. It hurt. It was slow. And in my early 40s, it was humbling.

This lesson isn’t just about fitness.

I experienced the same thing in leadership a decade earlier.

When I was promoted from project manager to operations leader, I just pushed harder. I moved faster. I leaned on what I knew—just with more intensity. For a while, it worked. Then it didn’t.

When I was promoted to Division Manager, I hit a wall.

I couldn’t just muscle my way through anymore. I had to grow again. I needed new skills. I needed new muscles.

I had to learn how to communicate with clarity and purpose.
How to cast vision and get people aligned around it.
How to set expectations—and train to them.
How to hold myself and others accountable in a way that built trust instead of fear.
How to lead with discipline, stay emotionally steady, and be prepared every single day.
How to change me before expecting change in others.

This is the real workout—and these are muscles I’m still building today.

I see my clients face the same challenge:
• A great estimator becomes an estimating manager.
• A seasoned superintendent becomes a general superintendent.
• A solid COO becomes the next CEO.

The strengths that got them promoted won’t carry them through the next level. Those are old muscles.

If you feel stuck or stretched thin, it doesn’t mean you’re not capable. It means you’ve outgrown your current strengths—and it’s time to build new ones.

Don’t back off. Lean in.
Do the work. Learn the technique. Build the muscles you’ve ignored.

You’ll find you can carry more weight than you ever thought possible—not just for you, but for the people around you.

Stop muscling your way through it. Learn the proper technique to step confidently into the next level of leadership.
You’re capable of more—if you’re willing to do the work to grow your way into it!