Lead By Living It

This week I am teaching EntreLeadership Performance Series here in Tennessee, and will be finishing the week off with a couple of Formula races in Savannah. I’ve asked some of the incredibly talented commenters of this blog to share their wisdom. Here’s a great post by Laura Johnson. Check out her blog here. You can guest post as well! Read how to here.I’ve been a background person most of my life. And then, I learned to lead. And it is all because of running.

For two years, I was taught how to run from three people who had been excelling at the sport for 30 years. Getting tips from 90 years of experience ain’t bad!

I learned that stretching after is more important; to not lie down immediately after running because it can cause a heart attack; and being able to talk while running is a way to tell you’re not pushing yourself too hard.

I ran so often, the pointers became ingrained. I didn’t even have to think about them anymore. They became automatic.

Then, I started running with a few new runners. They noticed what I automatically did. It wasn’t long before they were asking my advice. How do I pick out a good shoe? What do I do when my body does this? How can I be sure to run the entire distance when I feel like walking?

And, it was easy for us to talk. Why?  I had immersed myself in the running world. I knew what I was talking about. I didn’t have to convince them, they could tell by my actions.

What if we submerged ourselves in the leadership world? What if we read leadership books or blogs (plug here for Chris!), listened to leadership tapes or podcasts, and spend time with leaders stronger than ourselves? Wouldn’t that cause us to grow as leaders?

If we focus more on becoming great leaders, we don’t have to worry as much about how we approach others. It will come naturally. It will affect our professionalism, confidence, integrity, attitude and those around us, too. Everyone will be better for it.

What have you done to become a better leader?