Life is a marathon, not a sprint

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. While these words may be true about every aspect of life, keeping this at the forefront of our minds during these troubled times is of particular importance when it comes to how we think about our careers. As someone who runs both marathons and executive searches, not necessarily in that order, I recently recognized how the approach for one, can be a guide for the other. Training for and running a marathon requires a long term view, proper planning, adaptability, team work, and perseverance.

When you set out on a run, particularly one that lasts 42.2 KM, you need to be able to visualize yourself finishing the course, and believe in your ability to accomplish it. But, of course, it’s not belief alone that gets you across the finish line. You need to have a plan for your run (i.e. what will you wear, what’s your pacing, where are the water stations, etc.), and the ability to adapt that plan as the conditions of the course continue to change.

As you move through the course, having others runners by your side is an important source of strength and encouragement. Running may be an individual sport, but it doesn’t mean you need to, or should, go it alone. Leaning on and learning from others can be as important of a skill as finding your stride.

Ultimately, no matter how well you train or how prepared you are, sometime over the span of all of those kilometers, you will hit a wall. You feel like you can’t take another step, and that the finish line is beyond your reach. These are the moments when you need to dig deep, to find your inner strength, and realize how far you’ve already come. We all have that ability in us, and when we find it we don’t simply finish the race, we do so with an energy we ourselves didn’t even know we had.

I think the parallel to an executive search at this moment in time is quite powerful. What I’ve heard from employers and candidates alike over the past few months is that long term vision, flexibility, the ability to work with teams in creative ways, and the willingness to face challenges have become more important than ever, and that the people who learn to embrace this will not simply get through this time, but may well become better candidates and employers for it.

The course ahead of us is not the easiest one, but for those who remember it’s a marathon, they may just find they cross the finish line with both a new perspective, and newfound strength.