5 leadership lessons we can all learn from runners.

I saw a headline recently about learning leadership lessons from the All Blacks.  A great headline, because everybody knows who the #AllBlacks are and, let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to be a leader like those guys?

However, as I’m unlikely to be playing for the All Blacks any time soon (as I’m not from New Zealand, of course!), and as I am venturing to my now annual pilgrimage to the Larne Half Marathon on Saturday, (where I will be running through the tunnel in the photo above), I will offer my take on the top 5 leadership lessons we can learn from runners.

1.       Runners have a clear end goal

For many this is a race they have entered, perhaps one that is longer than they’ve done before, or maybe it’s the same race or distance that they want to improve their time in.  Or perhaps their goal is to get back to that 32” waist again or drop a dress size.  Or maybe to get out and run with like-minded people regularly. And these goals are regularly reviewed during a runner’s lifetime.  Whatever the goal is, though, runners tend to stick with it if they have a clear end goal in mind.

2.       Runners have a plan

Plans can take many different forms, from detailed and comprehensive documents that breakdown the miles per day at different speeds, with gym work and cross-training, to less detailed plans, where runners may aim to go out for a run two or three times a week, perhaps with friends.  Either way, the runners plan will be created to suit their needs at that time so that they can ultimately reach their goal.

3.       Runners put in the hard yards

When runners have a clear goal in mind, and a plan to get there, they are not afraid to put in the hard miles regardless of the weather.  In fact, it seems that getting out in the rain, hail and wind is all part of the enjoyment and process and necessity of being a runner.  There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong gear!

4.       Runners get back up when they take knocks

The worst thing about running is injury.  Runners hate being injured.  It either slows them down, is sore to run and it eventually stops them running.  Their recovery tools include foam rollers, and Physios are runners’ friends at times like these, even though both are the most painful things imaginable.  They know that if they don’t go through this pain, they won’t be able to get back to their goal, or perhaps more importantly back to what they love doing. 

5.       Runners are superb at networking

The running community is small (but growing at quite a rate).  This is thanks in part to the growth of parkrun, that has fed into local Athletics NI running clubs, and there are multiple races now every weekend of the year, many of which are oversubscribed.  Runners enjoy these, not for the competition alone, but for the great opportunities to meet new people, make new friends, build lasting friendships, learn new things.  Building bigger networks all the time.

What can you learn from how runners set goals, plan to achieve them, work towards them, deal with set-backs and network so they get to know more people?

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