Several years ago, I set out to ride 1,000 miles in my limited spare time during a hot Chicago summer. It took me until October to complete the deal, and the sheer anticipation of the accomplishment served as a powerful driver.  Of course, all along I had visions of that final leg including the cheering crowds and the glass of champagne, much like the final ride down the Champs Elysees at the end of the Tour De France.

What, No Champagne?

Needless to say, there was no Champagne, and the only cheers that I received were from my wife and my one son who I convinced to ride with me on the last mile. We counted down the blocks on the odometer and stopped to commemorate the spot where my goal was achieved. And then we rode home and I cut the lawn.

The reality of that endeavor was that it helped me get in great shape, provided a remarkable outlet for stress and became a core part of my life during that one season. The last mile was never the real driver…it was of course the journey and the effort and sweat and adventure of getting there and the satisfaction of completing the journey.

Much like that season of bike riding, for some time now, I noticed my blog post counter moving ever closer towards the 500 mark recently, and this post is in fact number 500 for me at this site.

While I never set out to blog with any numeric goal in mind, somewhere during the past three years, what started as an experiment has become a part of me; an involuntary reflex, much like breathing. When I started this management and leadership writing odyssey, I had no idea what a profound impact it would have on me as a person and as a professional.

Treasures Gained Along the Way to 500 Posts:

  • The new friends and colleagues I’ve met during the journey are priceless to me. I am truly honored to have met and to regularly carry on discussions with some remarkably intelligent, kind and passionate leadership and management thinkers and writers.  I learn from you every day. Thank you!
  • The act of writing is no longer something that is discretionary in my life. I’m incapable of reading or talking or listening and observing without wanting to translate ideas and insights into words here on the blog.  Many of my friends are familiar with my frequent interjection into conversations, “That would make a great post. May I write about it?”  Hey, I cannot help it if I see and hear blog posts in just about every conversation.
  • The personal/professional development benefits have been tremendous. In order to write, one has to study, learn, reflect and synthesize ideas and alternative viewpoints. While I cannot quantify the impact that this effort has had on me intellectually or practically, I perceive that I’ve worked hard to develop myself, and the discipline of writing fueled the development.
  • My learning style has changed…or, perhaps emerged. As Drucker highlighted, some individuals learn by reading, some by writing, some by talking, some by listening. I most definitely learn through the act of writing.
  • I now recognize that writing is darned hard work. I recognize how difficult it truly is to develop competence as a writer. I also recognize how far I have to go in this area. I’m well on my way to my 10,000 hours of deliberate practice and hopefully, some modicum of confidence. Now for the editing and proofing part!
  • Making even a small difference in someone’s life makes this worthwhile. The ultimate reward for this type of lonely effort comes in the many, many notes that I’ve received over time from individuals offering that something in a post made a difference for them, either at work or in their personal lives. The occasional impact…helping someone along the way is why we do this.

Renewal of My Blogging Vows:

I’ve been consistent in describing my intentions with this work from day one, and I’m comfortable that they are still relevant and important…at least for me.  My vows include:

  • Strive to offer ideas and insights that promote effective, ethical and values-based leadership practices.
  • Push the envelope on management practices and management thinking. In my own small way, I want to help find the way forward for leaders and for organizations, in what is a fascinating and complex new world.
  • Contribute to the development of a new generation of effective leaders.
  • Plant seeds of ideas to foster change and improvement and to help people realize that they can be the difference makers in their organizations.
  • Have a lot of fun during this journey.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Unlike my bike-riding endeavor, I have no preconceived idea on how many posts I will write. It may be five more or five thousand more.  We’ll have to see how long it takes me to run out of ideas.

Thanks for your readership and for keeping me honest  and true to my blogging vows!

Yours most sincerely in leadership and management innovation,

Art