Running the Extra Mile: How Leadership and Running Go Hand in Hand Wisdom from 44 Marathons

Many of you know I am a Marathoner and enjoy the joy and pain of running a marathon. I have reflected about the role of this to my professional life. I have been meaning to write how exercise ( in my case, running) helps you to enhance your leadership skills. I have a balance of running ( 2 sessions a week), the gym ( 2 sessions a week) and Yoga ( 2 sessions a week) on a good week. I do miss sessions when I am busy, which has taught me the importance of these even more.

This article is to reflect my understanding the connections between leadership and running. These connections have helped me not only to achieve my personal goals but also to lead my team effectively in challenging times.

In this article, I will explore the various ways in which running can teach us about leadership, and how the principles of leadership can be applied to running. I will also discuss the benefits of running for leaders and how it can help us to become better leaders.

Setting Goals

Running teaches us the importance of setting goals and working towards them. As a leader, it is essential to set clear and achievable goals for yourself and your team. Setting goals helps to provide focus and direction, and it gives you something to work towards.

When setting goals, it is important to make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). This approach ensures that your goals are realistic and achievable, and it provides a clear framework for measuring progress. While you set a goal for a 5k or a marathon, you need to set SMART goals to achieve what you have set out for.

Perseverance

Running is a challenging and often gruelling sport, requiring immense physical and mental endurance. Similarly, leadership requires perseverance in the face of adversity. As a leader, you will encounter many obstacles and setbacks, but it is important to keep going and not give up.

Perseverance requires mental toughness and a willingness to push through discomfort and pain. It also requires a growth mindset, a belief that you can improve and learn from your failures. This mindset helps leaders to bounce back from setbacks and continue moving forward.

Discipline

Running requires a high level of discipline, both in terms of training and nutrition. Similarly, leadership requires discipline in terms of time management, decision-making, and self-control.

Discipline is the ability to stick to a plan and make sacrifices in the short-term for long-term gains. It involves prioritizing what is important and avoiding distractions and temptations that can derail progress.

Focus

Running requires a high level of focus, both mentally and physically. Similarly, leadership requires focus in terms of setting priorities and staying focused on the end goal.

Focus requires concentration and the ability to ignore distractions and stay on task. It involves managing time effectively and avoiding multitasking, which can lead to decreased productivity.

Teamwork

Running is often thought of as an individual sport, but it also requires teamwork in the form of support from coaches, trainers, and running partners. Similarly, leadership requires teamwork in terms of collaboration, communication, and delegation.

Teamwork involves building relationships and fostering a positive team culture. It requires effective communication, active listening, and a willingness to share responsibilities and support others.

Resilience

Running teaches us about resilience, the ability to bounce back from setbacks and keep going. Similarly, leadership requires resilience in the face of adversity and uncertainty.

Resilience requires mental toughness and a growth mindset. It involves learning from failures and setbacks and using them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

Benefits of Running for Leaders

In addition to the connections between leadership and running, there are many benefits of running for leaders. These benefits include:

Stress Reduction

Running is a great way to reduce stress and clear your mind. It provides a sense of relaxation and helps to release endorphins, which can improve mood and reduce anxiety.

Increased Energy and Focus

Running can help to increase energy levels and improve focus. It provides a burst of energy that can carry over into other areas of life, including work.

Improved Health and Fitness

Running is a great way to improve overall health and fitness. It can help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Improved Sleep

Running can also improve sleep quality and duration, which can lead to improved overall health and well-being.

Running can teach us about setting goals, perseverance, discipline, focus, teamwork, and resilience. These skills are essential for effective leadership, and running can help to develop and strengthen them.

In addition to these connections, running also offers many benefits for leaders, including stress reduction, increased energy and focus, improved health and fitness, and improved sleep. By incorporating running into our daily routines, we can become better leaders and improve our overall health and well-being.

Marathon and Leadership

And while running a marathon, my 3 and half hours of so, I have reflected a lot on the connections of a Marathon and leadership. I have found that running marathons has many connections to leadership, including the importance of patience, enjoying the journey, taking things one step at a time, and being mindful and grateful.

Patience is a vital quality for both running and leadership. In both endeavours, there will be obstacles and challenges that require perseverance and determination. The ability to stay calm and focused during difficult times is essential for success. In running a long distance such as a marathon, it is important to pace oneself and not push too hard too soon. Similarly, in leadership, it is important to have a long-term perspective and not expect immediate results.

Running a marathon or in leading a project, it is very important that you enjoy the process. Running 26.2 miles can be challenging and sometimes (rather often) painful activity, but it can also be enjoyable and rewarding. Similarly, leadership can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding and fulfilling. By focusing on the present moment and enjoying the journey, being mindful, we can stay motivated and engaged in both running a marathon and leadership.

Taking things one step at a time is another important connection between a marathon and leadership. In both activities, it is important to break down large goals into smaller, more manageable tasks. By taking things one step at a time, we can avoid feeling overwhelmed and stay focused on the task at hand.

Starting slow, accelerating in downhills, and taking it easy in uphills is a strategy used by many marathon runners to conserve energy and avoid burnout. Similarly, in leadership, it is important to balance the need to push hard with the need to rest and recharge. By taking a strategic approach to leadership, we can avoid burnout and stay focused on our goals.

Headwinds and uphills are a natural part of life, and both running a marathon and leadership require a tough mind to overcome these challenges. By developing mental toughness and resilience, we can stay focused and motivated in the face of adversity.

It is important to remember that each person's journey is unique and should not be compared to others. In both running the marathon and leadership, it is important to focus on our own goals and progress, rather than comparing ourselves to others, when runners run past you.

Finally, when we reach our goals, it is important to be grateful for the journey and mindful of the lessons we have learned along the way. Running a marathon and leadership are both lifelong journeys, and there is always room for growth and improvement.

By embracing the lessons of running, we can become more patient, resilient, and focused, and achieve greater success in our careers and in our lives.

I encourage all leaders to consider incorporating running or some form of exercise into their daily routines and to explore the many connections between leadership and exercise.