Some time ago, I started playing a game on my smartphone called Real Racing 3. It was a lot of fun, but this is not meant to be a game review. It is about something the game reminded me of: how we learn, develop and move towards mastery in leadership and life.
When progress comes to a halt
When I started playing, I quickly got better at driving my different cars through races on well-known tracks. You could say my level of skill was steadily improving.
The game had several assists turned on initially to help new drivers stay on track, so to speak. These included braking assistance and steering assistance.
However, after progressing through different series, my improvement started to slow and then came pretty much to a halt. I seemed to get stuck on races where I could not place well enough to keep progressing.
I struggled for some time before resorting to a Google search.
There I found advice from more experienced players. One common recommendation was to reduce the braking assistance or turn it off completely. They explained that the assistance could slow the car down more than necessary.
One player also mentioned that driving without it was tricky at first, but worth the effort.
Getting worse before getting better
So I turned the braking assistance down to low. And guess what? I started crashing like crazy.
And guess what? I started winning races like crazy. Not at first, but after some initial crashing, I learned the new skill well enough to win races where I had previously struggled even to get on the podium.
Changing how you do something can temporarily make you worse at it—even when that change eventually helps you improve.
So, enough game talk. What does this have to do with leadership or mastery of anything?
I did not realize it at first, but after a while I saw how my experience with the game reflected the choices we make when we reach a plateau.
Three ways to respond to a plateau
When we try a new skill, we often improve quickly. Then we reach a point where progress slows or seems to stop. It is easy to get frustrated.
Here we have several choices. One of my teachers, Tony Robbins, describes three approaches: the dabbler, the stressor and the master. I recognize something of each in how people, including myself, respond to learning.
The dabbler: find something else
The first response is to say, “Bummer, this is not fun anymore. I’ll find another game to play.”
The dabbler tries something, enjoys the initial progress and then switches to something else when improvement becomes more difficult.
The stressor: push harder
The second response is to try really, really hard. Push and sweat, putting in more energy and effort to force your skill level upwards.
More effort can help, but if the approach itself needs to change, simply pushing harder may leave you tense, exhausted and frustrated.
That was how I felt when I was getting sweaty hands from my racing game while getting nowhere. I was also losing the joy that had been there at the beginning.
The master: stay open to learning
The third response is to recognize the plateau and become curious about what is needed next. Seek help from people who have worked through a similar challenge. Learn from them and practise a different approach.
That may require relearning something you did one way as a beginner. Changing your golf swing. Changing how you communicate with colleagues. Rethinking how you plan your days.
And here is a key part: when you first use that new approach, your performance may get worse.
Like my crashing in the racing game. Like hitting golf balls into the woods with your new swing. Like stumbling over your words as you practise a different way of communicating.
Give the new skill a chance
This is where many people quit. They think the change is not working because things feel harder than before.
But that awkwardness can be part of learning. With practice, feedback and adjustments, the new skill can become more familiar and useful.
In my case, I started winning races again and rediscovered the joy of playing.
Of course, not every change is an improvement. Staying on the path also means noticing what is happening and adjusting your approach. The point is to avoid treating the first uncomfortable attempts as the final verdict.
Sooner or later, another plateau may appear. Then there is another opportunity to learn.
Where have you reached a plateau?
Think about something you want to improve in your leadership, relationships or everyday life.
- How do you usually respond when progress slows: move on, push harder or explore another approach?
- Who could offer useful feedback or help you learn?
- What small change could you practise?
- How could you give yourself room to feel awkward while checking whether the change helps?
Choose one manageable experiment. Give it some practice, seek feedback and reflect on what you learn.
If you’d like support working through a challenge in your own development, explore individual coaching.