Find Potential Outside Your Comfort Zone
- Liz Schehl
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 22
This past weekend we were in Atlanta for my daughter’s soccer tournament. This was a newly formed team with girls coming from different leagues, different coaches, and different levels of experience. On paper, they weren’t supposed to look like a team yet.
What struck me most was the coach’s philosophy. Winning wasn’t his priority. His priority was seeing how the team came together under pressure — how they played, how they adapted, how they supported each other.
"A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of themselves and their contribution to praise the skills of others." – Norman Shidle
He rotated players into unfamiliar positions. He tested their grit in 100° heat, where every ounce of stamina was stretched thin. On the surface, it looked like a recipe for failure.
But something different happened. Each girl discovered new strengths. They began to trust themselves in uncomfortable roles, and trust each other in the process. They grew more adaptable, more resilient — and more connected.
Even when they weren’t in their “favorite positions,” they started to appreciate that their coach saw something in them they hadn’t yet recognized, and they began to value what their teammates brought as well.
Not only did they hold their own, they made it all the way to the championship game — playing up a bracket against older girls.
The scoreboard wasn’t the priority for this first tournament. The priority was growth, adaptability, and building a true team. And in the process, the results took care of themselves.
The Lesson:
Great teams aren’t built by keeping people where they’re comfortable. They’re built when every member is stretched, supported, and given opportunities to grow — and when individuals are confident enough to see not only their own value, but to celebrate the contributions of others.
Where in your leadership can you challenge your team (or yourself) to step out of the comfort zone?
What new potential might be uncovered if you focus less on immediate wins and more on long-term growth?
-Complacency stagnates. Reframe standard. Explore endless possibilities. Live inspired.-
