On Sunday morning, I competed for the first time in Penang (an island in Malaysia) coastal aquathlon. It was a great experience and the main goal was to finish my first race (800m swim/7km run). Personally, I do not consider the competition results as the main goal, for me, it is important to keep myself fit, enjoy what I do in sports and to get to understand my limitations. I am so grateful and blessed to be able to to achieve one of my dreams especially on Easter day.Running gives me a chance to put my thoughts in perspective about life and leadership too. Here are three leadership lessons that I have learned from aquathlon:Stay focus on timeline; while running I was keeping an eye on my watch to ensure finishing it within given timeframe. Leaders have a series of responsibilities that keep their schedule packed and are tasked with juggling multiple projects at once. Effective leaders put their time management skills into play to ensure that they maximize their time and accomplish their goals. Planning and prioritizing the daily tasks within a given timeline help leaders to focus on areas where they’re most skilled.
Keep the momentum; when I started swimming I realised if I am going to finish it, I should keep my speed steady and do not stop. It would be much harder for me to stop and start again. Momentum energises and enhances performance while shrinking obstacles. Every successful leader wants to be a game-changer. However, in order to keep the momentum, the leader should also shift the gear. As a leader, your responsibility is to understand momentum, to get it moving for your organization, and to sustain it over time.
Find a running buddy; I noticed if I stick to one of the runners it helps me to push and motivate myself. In addition, I know that we are both running through the same difficulties so it will be easier to follow. As a leader, you need someone who will not only listen to but understand your situation since he is experiencing it too. The fact is if you want to go on a leadership journey, you have to go with someone. Someone you believe in and you’re willing to sacrifice your own interests to help. Someone you can talk on the phone regularly to share advice and new ideas, and stay humble by reminding each other that they’re always learning.
—————————————
Thank you for reading my post. Please feel free to drop me a note if you would like to connect or have any suggestions.