The trainer and the trainee

I have been doing leadership training for so long; this is the professional aspect of my life. It is a career and something I love doing. And then there is this informal group of wonderful people who would meet with me once a week. We have kept company for decades, and we would study scriptures, share life ideas and lessons. Having them is a joy for me. Officially appointed to lead the group by virtue of age and experience, I have been doing my best to equip them for learning life lessons and have seen how they have grown over the years.

In both aspects of training, I see common grounds either in the professional or vocational nature. Forgive me, as you may observe, how fundamental I can get with these views and be patient as I set the scene. Almost all training includes at least two people: the person being trained and the person doing the training. Although there are exceptions, during pre-COVID days, it would be a regular part of my career to do a two-day leadership training to a class that ranges from 60 to 80 participants. It could be draining for me because I had to work harder and move faster to have every participant engaged and involved in the training process. Now here is where the focus of training, the trainer’s goal is not only to teach skills as this would be an easy task. But the more challenging and rewarding aspect is for the trainer to elevate the performance of the trainee. Without this focus, then training would not yield its best results. I consciously and repeatedly remind the group that my work is not to have participants do what I say but to have them develop the ability to think for their own and perform at a level that astounds their trainer and themselves.

I picked up this material but, to my regret, have forgotten the source of authorship. But as you look over the message, it resounds with great wisdom and practicality:

“We have access to unlimited real-life and dramatized experiences via television, the internet, and social media, giving us the opportunity to observe the performance outcomes of countless athletes, musicians, actors, and speakers. What we often do not see, however, are the hours and sometimes years of training that led to the particular outcome on display, and we seldom know who the trainers were.”

This is so true, isn’t it? Let me ask you a question. Do you admire a Lebron James, a Steph Curry, a Yo-Yo Ma, or an Itzhak Perlman? Many of you do. These are experts in their fields. So, my next question is this: Can you give me the names of their trainers who developed them into the people they are today? Get the point?

You might turn on your television or device and see an accomplished musician deliver a stunning performance of a powerful classic, and your reaction might be, “Wow, what talent!” But you are not so much provided with any background on what type of training the musician received, how much, and from whom. The fact remains that few people achieve significant success alone.

When you get to listen to the interviews of the accomplished athlete, musician, or artist, their story includes at least a handful of coaches, teachers, or trainers who helped develop their ability or facilitate opportunities for their success. Most success depends, at least in part, on the expertise of trainers who helped to refine the performance to its highest potential; this may be why many trainers (speakers, educators, lecturers) do not do well. They may be too obsessed with who they are and what they can deliver such that they forget that it is not about them but about what and how they can produce winners and achievers better than them.

This is what makes training, teaching, speaking and now include social media postings so wonderful and meaningful. And the reason why I am where I am today is because of the mentors and trainers in my life who have pushed me, challenged me, corrected me, and loved me enough to want to see me improve.

Remember the famous phrase: “If you see a turtle on a fence post, he didn’t get there by himself.” Even the Ninja Turtles had Master Splinter, their trainer and mentor.

(Francis Kong presents the highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership Master Class Online this April 2021. Learn leadership skills that translate into personal, career, and business growth in the Current Reality and the Post-COVID World. For inquiries and reservations, contact April at +63928-559-1798 or and for more information, visit www.levelupleadership.ph)