203
FIGURE 2: Hardship Processing Cycle based on Moxley (1998) illustrating learning
from hardship5
Hardship
Sense of loss
Learning
Discomfort and frustration
Confrontation with self
The model supports Moxley' s contentions that "comfort is the enemy of growth" and that "people must be willing to embrace hardships rather than shy away from them" because of the leadership lessons they offer (p. 208). It also supports Schein's belief, articulated in a March, 2002 Harvard Business Review interview, that "anxiety inhibits learning, but anxiety is also necessary if learning is going to happen at all." However, significant levels of frustration or anxiety are more likely to distract learners from the task of learning, resulting in a severely compromised educational experience. The researcher therefore contends that moderate amounts of hardship in the form of
challenging physical or psychological activities may trigger just enough discomfort and frustration to initiate the cycle above and foster (rather than diminish) learning in
leadership development contexts. The depth and breadth of learning experienced by 5
It should be noted that the figure above substitutes "discomfort and frustration" for Moxley' s "pain" but
remains the same in all other facets.