Diamonds form under Pressure and Heat

According to the journal Nature, diamonds are formed by burying carbon dioxide 100 miles into the Earth, heating it to about 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit, pressuring it to about 725,000 pounds per square inch, and finally rushing it towards Earth's surface to cool. Doesn't sound all that pleasant, but what comes out as a result is both precious and rare.

Same can be said for leaders and high achievers. They don't come about as a result of a relaxed atmosphere devoid of deadlines or supervision. They come about as a result of testing in extreme situations from which they learn and develop. Such short-term, intense experiences reveal who has the potential to lead and who does not. Who can handle pressure and who cracks under it. Who makes situations better and who makes them worse.

I'm not saying this is an environment that should be constant as that would be counter productive, but I am saying that short-term bursts of intense pressure and tight deadlines; like controlled burns to prevent forest fires, can be a good thing. It helps to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Who can you count on in such situations? Who steps up and helps others? Who finds the innovative solutions to prevent a repeat of the situation? The greatest ideas and solutions often come about as a result of such experiences.

As developmental as these experiences can be, they also help to reveal the weaknesses of associates. Who makes things worse? Who throws up their hands and waves the white flag? Who drags the team down or spreads negativity? Who are the team players and who are not?

These experiences are not pleasant, but necessary if you are to develop leaders and recognize faults and weaknesses in your team. They are not to be avoided, but embraced.