This past week, I did something unusual for me. I attended a conference for business coaches—not as a speaker, trainer, or MC, but simply as a participant. Pure sponge mode. No agenda except to absorb, learn, and be poured into.
And somewhere in those three days of immersion, I heard a phrase that stopped me in my tracks: "Is there a 'there' there?"
It's a question of discovery, isn't it? A question we ask when we're exploring new territory, uncertain if we'll find substance beneath the surface. Is this worth pursuing? Is there real value here? Will this journey lead somewhere meaningful?
The Three Stages of Discovery
As I reflected on my conference experience, I realized this simple phrase captures the entire journey of growth and leadership development. And it reminded me of something Solomon wrote thousands of years ago: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
The wisdom we seek? It's already there. It's been there all along. Our job isn't to create something new—it's to discover what's already been established:
Stage 1: "Is there a 'there' there?"
This is the stage of curiosity and skepticism. You're standing at the edge, wondering if it's worth diving in. Should I attend this conference? Should I read this book? Should I invest time in this area of growth? You're searching, questioning, not yet committed.
Stage 2: "Is there a 'there' there NOW?"
This is the stage of active discovery. You've taken the first step, and now you're in the middle of the journey. You're starting to see glimpses of something valuable, but you're still processing. The insights are coming, but they haven't fully formed yet. You're present, engaged, and the transformation is beginning—even if you can't quite articulate it yet.
Stage 3: "There's a 'there' there!"
This is the breakthrough moment. The epiphany. When everything clicks into place and you realize you've found gold. The investment was worth it. The time spent learning, absorbing, and growing has yielded treasure. You've discovered something substantial, something that will change how you lead, think, and live.
The Power of Sponge Mode
Here's what I learned this week: Leaders need to regularly put themselves in sponge mode.
Too often, we're the ones pouring out—leading meetings, coaching our teams, solving problems, making decisions. We're constantly in output mode. But tremendous leadership requires tremendous input.
When was the last time you intentionally positioned yourself to simply receive? To sit at the feet of wisdom without the pressure to perform or produce?
This week reminded me that some of my most significant growth hasn't come from the stages where I was teaching, but from the seats where I was learning; When I silenced my inner expert and awakened my inner student.
Your Invitation to Discovery
The book of Proverbs opens with a clarion call: "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them." (Proverbs 4:5) Notice it doesn't say "create wisdom" or "invent understanding." It says get it. Go after it. Pursue it. Hunt it down.
Why? Because, as Solomon reminds us, there is nothing new under the sun. The principles of tremendous leadership, the truths about human nature, the wisdom we need to lead well—it's all already been discovered and written down. It's waiting in tremendous books, in the experiences of those who've gone before us, in conferences where ancient truths are applied to modern challenges.
Our job isn't to create new wisdom. Our job is to discover the wisdom that already exists.
So here's my challenge to you: Stop waiting for growth to come to you. Go find it.
- Attend that conference where you're not on the agenda
- Read that tremendous book that's been sitting on your shelf
- Schedule time for reflection and learning, not just doing
- Invest in your own development with the same energy you invest in developing others
Ask yourself: "Is there a 'there' there?" Then have the courage to find out.
Because I promise you, when you commit to the journey of discovery—when you show up with curiosity and humility—you'll eventually arrive at that magnificent moment where you can declare with confidence:
"There's a 'there' there!"
You'll discover that the wisdom you were seeking was waiting for you all along. Not something new, but something eternal, something that has guided tremendous leaders for generations. For me, that “there” was found not on the stage, but in the stillness of simply showing up ready to learn.
And that discovery will transform not just your leadership, but everyone you lead.
What area of growth are you questioning right now? Where might you need to shift into sponge mode? I'd love to hear about your journey of discovery.
