Leading by Following

2nd March 2013

Saturday morning (or in my case around noon) runs outside are quite possibly one of my favorite parts of the week. Over the last few years, these mornings have progressed from dreaded training runs with strict milage goals to casual time on the trails to step back and enjoy some time by myself – whether that be three miles or 10.

This morning, I brought along my favorite running buddy, a sixty pound little pup who also happens to love exploring just as much as I do. Atlanta is surrounded by some gorgeous hiking trails, which once we are far enough off the beaten path, lend the perfect spot for some leash-less sprinting (shh, don’t tell the park rangers).

My running buddy, she’s also quite the soccer champ.

As we wound about amongst the trees and the mud, I found myself tailing behind my little girl at times and calling for her to join me when she was distracted by a chipmunk or two and had to stop for a sniff at others. Leaders and followers we were.

A mentor of mine and I had a discussion a few months back about leadership not being a title that one is given with age, job description or pay grade. It is something we embody in every daily interaction in which we partake. Leadership means accepting humility and trusting those around you. It is building the talents and confidence of others and encouraging them to carry on and improve.

We often look to becoming a leader in the form of managing others – the same way a master would expect a dog to behave on a leash and do as he/she is told. However, it’s easy to tell a dog to stay with you when they are attached by a rope, it’s another exercise to let them go and watch them stay in your path.

When you build up those around you, turn over your trust and your faith to another, and follow their lead; you just might find yourself becoming a leader who enjoys the view from both sides of the path – something I’m learning to love.

Leadership is certainly not a virtue that develops overnight, whether that be on a dirt trail with a dog, or in the office with coworkers. It’s something we all have to work for, every step along the way, and I must admit, following a little pup through the woods, might be the best form of leadership I can think of, not to mention added growth and endurance for both of us.

Rewiring Success

23rd February 2013

A Pinterest favorite, and beautiful artwork found here.

I’ve spent the past five and a half months in a women-only leadership program (more on that soon). The experience has been fantastic and has opened my eyes to growing in the workspace, both personally and professionally, but more than anything I have spent a significant amount of time thinking about my future and success.

Before we go any further, let me preface the rest of this by saying, I certainly haven’t reached a come to Jesus, OK I get it, hallelujah moment about where to go next or what my magic yellow brick road of career path looks like (though man, I wish someone would hand that map over).

It has, however, forced me to think about how I define success.

Earlier this week, I read an article about work-life balance which hit the nail on the head perfectly for where I am currently. What if our happiness isn’t about the hours, the balance, the clients or the people alone, but starts with the root of accomplishment?

So it starts here: how do I define success?

The article sites a study where a group of workers was forced to take a night a week away from their smart phones and email. The discussion following was incredibly interesting:

The people who thought themselves addicted to work were really addicted to success and its signals. So if you want to build a team culture where people are encouraged to unplug and renew, rewire the signaling. Cheer when people come in and say that they unplug; slap their wrist when they don’t. Source

Going back to the mechanics.

What if we moved past the lists, the checkboxes and the powerpoint slides and focused on the relationships, the conversations and where work would lead to in the next five years? After all, today and tomorrow will eventually add up to a career, right?

Rewire the system, take a look at the mechanics and maybe this twenty-something can turn those check-lists into change.

I’ve hit a whole new level of {running} crazy

19th February 2013

Today I hit an entirely new level of running crazy. We’re not talking speed, distance or course, but rather my actions while out and about.

Today when my phone rang about half way through a run I proceeded to answer it and then kept running, all while holding a normal conversation .

Crazy, I’m telling you. It’s not normal to walk past someone having one of those bluetooth conversations, let alone while running down a trail with plenty of other people out and about.

I hadn’t historically even carried a phone with me while running, until this little incident, but now it’s my new safety line. Typically, I would just ignore calls and texts while out on a run, but thanks to those handy little iPhone headphones, I no longer have to fret about that.

Handy little chatting devices, thanks Apple.

Running with a friend is the ultimate surefire way to improve your pace. If you can learn to keep a good pace while holding a conversation, just imagine how you’ll feel out on your own or on race day with adrenaline pumping. I’ve spent the last year and a half running with a dear friend who is quite the chatty ~~Kathy~~ Katie, and I absolutely love her for it. Thanks to our running conversations, I took off almost two minutes per mile in a year of half-marathoning.

My running buddy recently started a new job that is slightly further away from our former mutual office, meaning I’m running solo a lot these days. So a phone call seemed like a perfect way to mix both worlds, even if it was a the cost of my looking slightly nuts while talking away to thin air and barely catching my breath.

At least I’m not quite this girl, but oh don’t you worry, this reality is only about half a mile away if this running solo thing keeps up. I have been known to follow the instructions in the lyrics of “Spice Up Your Life” whenever that comes on my iPod, so I make no promises for what’s next in the world of crazy running.

How do you keep yourself motivated and entertained during solo workouts? Am I alone on this one?