The best advice I ever received was ‘You think you’re good because you’re good at your role in the fitness industry, but you’re actually good at something that you’re applying to the fitness industry: figure out what that is, and you can work anywhere.’

I must confess, I like a bit of gaming. I’m not obsessed or anything, and I’m definitely not the guy who stays up playing all night, munching potato chips and vaping in the dark. But I do go through phases where I spend a few hours tapping on an Xbox controller and conquering worlds.

My favourite game series is Tomb Raider. In fact, I’ve been playing as Lara Croft since it came out on PS1 back in 1996. The appeal of the game lies in the fact that the character you have at the end of the game has significantly more skills and abilities than the character you have when you start out. Through overcoming challenges, defeating demons and unlocking mysteries, the character is developing the skillset to win the game. If you tried to complete the final battle with level one Lara Croft from the beginning of the game, you would be unsuccessful: she just doesn’t have the skills yet.

Now, life is no game, but challenges, demons and mysteries provide real opportunities for growth. 70% of your personal development will come from opportunities and experiences that are already around you, 20% will come from your network of people and relationships, and 10% from formal education. It’s that 70% that interests me.

Your abilities will grow faster when you see events as opportunities to learn and level up. Not all will be positive, and life is not always fair, but when you’re going through hard stuff, ask yourself ‘What am I learning here that will help me in the future?’. The meaning you attach to an event will become the reality of the event.

When you are presented with a challenge that requires you to step up, take a risk, strengthen an existing skill set or unlock a new one, take it! If you fail a few times, then learn and try a new approach. People we consider to be successful have failed more than most, and if you’re not getting a few knocks, you’re not even in the game.

Unlocking your awareness to see the learning opportunities around you is an essential level one skill; being able to use them to grow is a level two skill; being brave enough to try things you’ve never done before is level three. Knowing what skills serve you best will take you through level four. And realising that it’s not about you and being able to create opportunities for others to grow? Well, that’s level 10 – and that’s leadership.

The person who gave me that eye-opening advice was right: I have developed a skillset that could be applicable across any number of sectors. The fact is though, I believe that the fitness industry is an incredible one to be working in, and I choose to apply my skills here.

What skills and abilities do you already have? You’ve been playing already: you’ve faced challenges, battled demons, and unlocked mysteries, so your leadership journey is already underway. So, what level are you at, and are you ready to embrace the learning opportunities that will help you reach level 10?

The best advice I ever received was ‘You think you’re good because you’re good at your role in the fitness industry, but you’re actually good at something that you’re applying to the fitness industry: figure out what that is, and you can work anywhere.’

Ish Cheyne

With over 25 years in the industry, Ish’s fitness career has taken him from working in membership sales to being Head of Fitness for Les Mills New Zealand. His innovative approach to doing things ‘outside the box’ has positively impacted the way Les Mills runs its fitness departments. lesmills.co.nz

Information sourced from Australian Fitness Network Resource Library