Leadership and the Marathon Runner: 7 Words to Lead By

As a life-long cyclist, I marvel at marathon runners.

Anyone that can propel themselves for 26-plus miles without the aid of pedals, wheels and a chain is simply amazing in my book.

The only thing more challenging than training to compete as a distance runner might just be starting a new business. Both activities require fierce dedication, focus, discipline and sheer raw tenacity.  Imagine doing both at the same time!

That’s exactly what Eric Wallor, President and Founder of MarathonBookSeller.com is doing. While Eric is busy training to qualify for the Olympic Trials in distance running, he is also actively developing his on-line business in a tough economy against tough competition.

I caught up with Eric recently and during our inspiring discussion (I was the one inspired!),  I was struck by the parallels between the life and lot of the distance runner and that of the leader.

I asked Eric to jot down his thoughts on what it takes to successfully prepare for and compete as a distance runner, and his words below offer priceless and timeless guidance for leaders in training everywhere. After all, as a leader, you’re always in training and the race is most definitely a marathon, not a sprint.

7-Words that Describe What it Takes to Prepare for a Marathon

by Eric Wallor

Being a marathon runner is not always easy, but it is rewarding.  The mental side of training and preparing for a marathon is grueling and sometimes tiring, but the many benefits that it does give you mentally and physically are amazing.  Here are 7 words that I feel best describe what you need to mentally prepare for a marathon.

1. Goals - There is no good reason to train for a marathon and not have personal goals in mind.  Goals give you something tangible to aspire for and create a blueprint to stay focused and disciplined.  Create a goal for yourself that will challenge you but with hard work, will also be attainable.

2. Discipline – There are many things you will have to contend with when preparing for a marathon.  The little things make a big difference.  Make sure you are getting enough sleep, stretching after every run, eating right, staying hydrated, doing your sit ups and don’t create excuses to get out of your routine.

3. Focus – Having the right focus will allow you to get through your day-to-day training that will help you to achieve your race day goal.  To run 90, 100, 120 or more miles a week takes focus.  You will be running twice a day, you will be tired from time to time and you will be running alone quite a bit.  Remind yourself of your ultimate goal when your motivation is not at its finest.

4. Attitude – Are you excited to train everyday?  Do you dread getting up for that morning run?  Why are you running in the first place?  To be a marathon runner and put in the work that is required to be successful you have to love it, bottom line.

5. Coach/Training Partner – Having someone to push you, give you direction and to give moral support is critical.  People respond very well to accountability.  In many cases when you train for a marathon there is going to be a lot of time where you are running by yourself.  If you don’t have someone you are running with everyday or coaching you everyday then have to go out and seek that.  Why?  It keep you mentally fresh, it keeps you hungry, it keeps you excited and educates you about what your doing.

6. Tenacity – To train for a marathon you have to be tough.  To be successful you have to have some bal$s!  It goes way beyond just being about beating your competition.  Having the tenacity to be the best YOU that you can be is the key to the whole thing.

7. Adaptability – Things are not always going to go as planned.  You are going to have the occasional injury from time to time.  There are going to be days where you just don’t have it and don’t run the right paces.  Circumstances like weather and the kind of food you eat can adversely affect you.  Expect outside distractions and influences to be there everyday.  You have to just deal with it, stay strong and accomplish your goals.

Good luck with your marathon training.

–

The Bottom-Line from Art:

While Eric offers us all “good luck” with our training, I can assure you that his approach to success doesn’t depend upon luck. Each one of his “7-Words” applies to leaders everywhere, and offers us the parameters of a life-long training regimen for success in this challenging and noble profession of leading.

Your assignment here is to apply and build on Eric’s suggestions to improve your effectiveness as a leader. And we are all well-served to heed his excellent advice: “To be a marathon runner and put in the work that is required to be successful you have to love it, bottom line.” The same goes for leading.

–

About Eric Wallor:

Eric Wallor is President and Founder of MarathonBookSeller.com.  Eric is a competitive marathon runner who is on the journey of qualifying for the United States Olympic Trials in the marathon for 2012 Olympic Games.  Eric is in a unique position of not only competing at a high level athletically, but also running a business at the same time. MarathonBookSeller.com is a book buying service that focuses on buying and selling books, textbooks and DVD’s.  is continuing to grow its relationships with businesses, universities and people across the United States.

Follow Eric’s journey:

• Company Website – http://www.marathonbookseller.com
• Blog – http://marathonbookseller.wordpress.com/
• Facebook Profile - http://www.facebook.com/ewallor
• Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/MarathonBooks

Thoughts on Leading and Managing in the Era of Disposable Workers

Note from Art: this topic has me deep in thought.  While the issue is generally a negative one, I do wonder whether it contains the seeds of significant management and leadership revolution.  I would love your thoughts here.

In case you missed it, the article, “The Disposable Worker” in the January 7, 2010 issue of BusinessWeek  offers a sobering look at the increasing trend for employers “to create just-in-time labor forces that can be turned on and off like a spigot.” And guess what folks, this trend is not just for those near the bottom rungs of the ladder, this current fashion extends all the way up into the CEO Suite.

While one might get the impression that this is a fairly modern “management innovation,” enabled by advances in technology and easy access to low cost labor around the globe, I’m reminded of the scenes in Upton Sinclair’s gruesome and powerful book, The Jungle, chronicling the early days of the meat-processing industry in Chicago.

I last read the book in high school, but the images of men (in this case, they were men) lining upside the gates of the stockyards and processers, and the foreman stepping out and indicating how many that he needed for the day, jumps to mind.  If you were lucky enough to be picked on a given day, you were invited in to literally put life and limb on the line for a few cents.  On other days, your family went hungry.  If there was no work or you became injured, often, you died.

I’ll stop short of comparing the modern organization to those firms described in Sinclair’s pro-union classic, however, the picture painted in this article has that haunting specter of The Jungle hiding in the shadows.

My perspective here is not pro or con and don’t take my use of The Jungle or the  union reference to mean anything other than highlighting a point in history and the message contained in this book.  Organizations are striving and struggling to cut costs, compete and in some cases survive and desperate times call for desperate measures. The use of on-demand talent is well established in consulting and technology and in some cases it works well.  However, I do think that the tasks of managing and leading and competing in an era of “workforce on demand” are about to change in ways that we might not yet fully understand.

Thoughts and Issues on Managing and Leading In the Era of the Disposable Workforce:

-The challenge to choose the right tasks for “just in time” resources.  While it might be tempting to broadly apply the “on/off” approach to the workforce, managers should carefully evaluate the impact on business execution, customer satisfaction and innovation of replacing formal employees in core areas with contract workers.  The short-term cost savings might just cost the firm its future.

-The difficulty of acclimating the remaining workers to this new reality.  One of the more laughable parts of this not so funny article was the example of a firm adopting this model and then bringing in a resource to train the remaining employees on positive thinking.  I suspect that more than a few workers were pretty positive what they wanted the firm to do with this speaker!  While those that remain will likely be happier with a job than without, there’s little chance they will be happy.  And while work doesn’t have to be an endless group hug, there’s something to say for the ability of an engaged, motivated workforce to satisfy customers and fuel innovation.

-The pain of living through the destruction of a firm’s culture. Whatever the firm was before, it no longer is the same after retooling with temporary workers.  Instead of something that had a history and stories and artifacts and all those tangible and intangible components of a culture, the organization’s new environment might best be characterized as one that lacks a culture.  Thoughts of Dystopian environments and various science fiction novels are beginning to jump to mind here.

-The challenges of measuring and maintaining quality and identifying and implementing critical improvements will be more difficult in the on-demand environment.  The dearth of individuals that understand how to get work done via the informal organization will challenge firms to create new systems for these issues.

-The role of the Project Manager and the field of project management take on a very, very high importance in this new style organization.

-The impact when the worm turns! If and when recovery occurs, watch out!  Somewhere, some wise firm will catch on to the novel idea that they can compete more effectively with an engaged workforce and the “jumping ship” will happen so fast that the firm’s leadership will be checking the news for information on the tsunami that cleared out the buildings.

-The role of the leader will change significantly. Many of the core focal points that are written about daily in the leadership blogosphere and in shelves filled with books from name-brand authors will no longer be relevant.  The leader as a transaction manager with accountability for output with no concern for development, coaching and well-being may disappear.

The Bottom Line for Now:

I recognize that I’ve taken a mostly dark look at this issue in this post.  The beauty of writing these things is that they force the author as well as the readers to think through the issues at a deep level.  Intellectually, I do wonder whether the current economic situation contains the seeds of a new approach to management…an evolution or as Gary Hamel describes it, management innovation, and that the real challenge and issue here is truly how to rethink management and leadership.

Hmmm.  Back soon with some more thoughts.  Meanwhile, I would love to hear yours.

Leadership Caffeine-Don’t Wait for the Title to Start Leading

Note from Art: this is a reminder to senior leaders to encourage and provide informal leadership opportunities to team members, and a wake-up call for those hoping to one day be the afore-mentioned senior leaders.

The time to start leading is now, long before anyone has bestowed the title of leader on you.

Much like the famous trio of Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Woodman of Oz-fame, they didn’t really need the Wizard to bestow a brain, courage or a heart, and you don’t need someone to anoint you as a leader before you can start learning and practicing.

The great news is that today’s organizations are filled with opportunities for you to easily and informally develop both your leadership and your followership skills.

Increasingly, the nature of work is project-driven, and it’s a safe bet that much of your time will be spent juggling the demands of multiple project teams simultaneously. It’s also a safe bet that somewhere in those various projects are wonderful opportunities to step-up and help lead problem-solving, trouble-shooting or improvement initiatives.  Choose tasks that seem challenging and will push you to stretch your skills.

Closer to home, your own manager is likely juggling multiple balls while spinning a fair number of plates.  I can assure you that he or she would love to share some of the fun with a team member.  Sit down and talk with your manager.  Share your interest in trying leadership on for size and indicate that you relish the opportunity to gain experience in this area while helping to solve problems.

If the workplace doesn’t seem conducive to stretching your leadership wings, there are ample opportunities in your community in the schools, in churches and in volunteer roles at one of the many non-profits in your area.  Volunteer to lead a fund-raiser or event, and you’ll get a great taste of the challenges and rewards of leading.

Six Ideas for Developing as a Leader Without the Title:

• Opportunities are all around you…be creative and find challenges that push you outside of your comfort zone.

• Work on becoming a great follower.  Great followership is an outstanding training ground for developing as an effective leader.

• Don’t get caught up in the so-called trappings of leadership.  Believe me, there is nothing glamorous about the role.  It’s hard work with little instantaneous gratification. On the other hand, the long-term psychic rewards are priceless.

• Study the habits and approaches of leaders that you admire and strive to apply those lessons in your activities.

• Ask for feedback on your performance and listen to it.

• Seek out an informal mentor to bounce issues and ideas off of during your leadership experiments.  This might be your manager, a peer or someone else that you admire in your organization.  Share your lessons learned…and offer your ideas to solving problems.  Mentors are not there to solve your problems or even give specific directions…but a good one will nudge you in the right direction if he/she sees that you are truly striving to solve the problem on your own.

The Bottom-Line for Now

By pursuing informal leadership experiences, you will learn whether you truly enjoy the role or are much happier as a valued individual contributor.  This is great insight to develop and one that will pay dividends in the form of proper future career decisions.

You don’t need a title to start leading.  You do need to screw up some courage and seek out and grab one of the many informal challenges that surround you.  You’ll be glad that you did.

Leading in the Trenches-Recovering from Trickle Down Project Management Chaos

Leadership Caffeine: Resistance and the Leader

Author, Steven Pressfield does a masterful job in The War of Art, defining and then describing how to combat Resistance, a powerful and vexing force of human nature that we might most often label as procrastination.

This book should be mandatory once a year reading for anyone over the age of 10!

Resistance is defined as, “…that destructive force inside human nature that rises whenever we consider a tough, long-term course of action that might do for us or others something that’s actually good.”

Resistance shows up in many forms in our daily lives. It’s what keeps us from eating properly, working out regularly, taking that leap into a new job that we’ve been dreaming about for years, and pushes off to some unknown point in the future, the writing of the book that nearly everyone says that they have in them. If none of those examples fit, think of something in your life that you know you should do, but haven’t found the time or had the discipline to do it. That’s resistance.

Resistance shows up in leadership settings and in the workplace in many forms:

-Avoiding tough performance discussions. “They’re uncomfortable and maybe if we ignore them, they’ll go away.”

-Focusing on the fire drills. “We’re swamped. I don’t have time to think about the future.”

-Allowing the environment to govern your energy level and attitude. “This place drains the life out of you. If they don’t care, why should I?”

-Silencing voices. “I know we can do better, but no one will listen to me.”

-Resisting change. “That’s not the way we do it here. Every time someone suggests something different, they get shot down.”

-Bowing to bureaucracy. “I just follow the company policy.”

-Not actively supporting the development of others. “HR doesn’t offer the training that we need.”

Excuses, and poor ones at that.

Of course, we’re all human, and in my experience, even the most conscientious of leaders are capable of occasionally succumbing to the tyranny of resistance. I’ve observed good leaders grow a bit too comfortable with their teams and performance and almost unknowingly, they ratchet down their energy and intensity.

Those that are perceived as the strongest sometimes struggle very deeply with their own resistance. A retired CEO described to me that his biggest regret was never having the courage to conduct the tough discussions with his executives. He wondered how much his inaction in this area might have costs his companies over his career.

Ideas for Overcoming the Resistance of the Leader:

• Go back to basics. Revisit the core definition of your role as a leader. If your priorities aren’t about creating an effective working environment, supporting others to achieve their objectives and supporting others to grow and develop in their careers, you need to redefine your role.

• Assess: what keeps you from acting on your core priorities? Is it like a diet, where you rationalize that it’s OK to cheat, because you’ll run an extra lap later? Or do you genuinely need some help, mentoring, training or guidance to develop the skill needed to execute on your priority?

• Analyze your calendar. Eliminate as many “status update” meetings on your calendar and see if anyone notices. Fill that time with one on one and in group discussions about topics that involve improving, growing, developing, innovating or doing anything other than talking about the darned status.

• Give yourself structure. If you are project oriented, define your own personal improvement project, and measure and track your performance on doing the things you’ve historically avoided. This is a powerful approach for those that benefit from measures and rigor. I’m happy to offer suggestions on creating one of these if anyone is interested. You can e-mail me and I promise to get back quickly.

• Add more structure.  Develop a routine that helps push resistance out of time and space. I write my posts at a certain time every day and I force myself to ignore phone calls, e-mails, tweets and fire alarms until the post is completed. Dedicate lunches to talking with your team members or block out calendar time to do nothing other than focus on development and coaching.

• Find some healthy peer pressure. Find a similarly motivated peer and hold each other accountable. I do this with a colleague of mine and we push each other. Just the knowledge that I would have to listen to him give me grief if I drop the ball on something that I’ve committed to, is enough to help me overcome my own resistance.

The Bottom Line:

Call it resistance or procrastination or just plain laziness, the symptoms and outcomes are the same. Nothing.

Overcoming resistance requires more than a slogan and a sports drink. If you are conscientious enough to be reading my posts, you are capable of identifying and defeating your sources of resistance.

You might start with reading Pressfield’s book as a source of inspiration. That is if you can overcome the resistance that so often keeps us from cracking the cover and results in a stack of things that you plan on reading someday.

Have a great week and recognize the enemy of your progress and start taking action. Resistance hates action, and once in motion, action wins every time.

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