A couple months ago, our 17-year-old son made a decision that SHOCKED our family.

For the past six years, Tate had dedicated countless hours to honing his skills on the basketball court.

Time in the weightroom,

Time working 1-on-1 with private coaches,

Time traveling to dozens upon dozens of tournaments with his select team.

And now he was only a week away from the culmination of all that hard work, entering his senior season on a team that would likely make a run at a state title.

So, you can imagine our surprise when he told us he was forgoing his senior season of basketball and going out for wrestling instead – a sport he’d never competed in!

It would be the understatement of the century to say that these first eight weeks have been a pretty brutal learning curve.

He’s had his face slammed into the mat countless times, been choked and twisted in all kinds of positions. He’s faced losing to underclassmen, and worked his butt off to learn new technique, skills, and rules.

To compound the challenge, he’s been wrestling in one or two weight classes above his actual weight. The other week he wrestled four matches in a row against heavyweights, who are guys up to 285 lbs (btw, Tate is only 193 lbs).  

Let’s just say those didn’t go well. J

While it’s been tough, Tate knew what he was signing up for. This new challenge was something he wanted, even though it’d mean a LOT of losses.

Here are two powerful lessons I’ve learned from watching Tate this season, that will develop you as a leader in 2026:

#1 – Choose Growth Over Comfort

Tate walked away from six years of investment and near-certain success, to become a beginner again.

The more success I have, the more I notice a tendency inside me to be less willing to have my “face slammed into the mat” and do poorly at something new.

It’s easy to grow accustomed to incremental improvements in our leadership in areas we’ve already mastered, rather than putting ourselves in positions to be the rookie again. But…

Growth happens at the edge of competence,

not in the center of comfort.

Application:

• Where in your business or life are you clinging to what’s comfortable, even though deep down you know you’ve outgrown it?

• If you had to be a “beginner” at something important in the next 90 days, what would stretch you most & simultaneously make the most significant impact on your business? Put it on your calendar this week.

#2 – Define Success by Who You’re Becoming, Not by Wins/Losses

Tate has lost five of seven matches, yet if you asked him, he’d tell you that this season has been a massive success thus far. Why?

Because Tate’s not measuring his success against a win/loss column; he’s measuring his success by character development (mental toughness, perseverance, courage).

Who You are Becoming is FAR More Valuable than

What You’re Achieving.

Application:

• Look at your top three goals for 2026. For each one, write down “To achieve this, I need to become someone who _____.” If nothing comes to mind, that goal is probably not the right goal.

Where in your life/business might you be overvaluing achievement and undervaluing personal and professional development?