"Running is like
meditation...thoughts enter and leave and you let go off all your pent-up
emotions." "Even though marathon runners run alone, they draw
inspiration and energy from fellow runners." It's amazing to know how much
running teaches you about entrepreneurship, sportsmanship and quality of
life...There's a lot one can learn from marathon runners. 'If you want to run,
run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon,' said
three-time gold medal Olympics winner Emil Zatopek.
An entrepreneur, in many ways,
is like a marathon runner. By choosing entrepreneurship, you have opted for a
different life. You know you have a long distance to run, but it is important
that you realise it is not speed but stamina and endurance that will carry you
through. The most important fact to remember is you are in this alone. It is
your own race.
"There is no confusion in
your head, thoughts enter and leave and you let go of all your pent-up
emotions.”
"You reach a spiritual
level because you feel the freedom to fully control your body.”
"It becomes so effortless
that you breathe smoothly without panting.”
"You are lifted from a
regular state of being to a state much more relaxing. It is a great place to
be."
Marathon runners are not born.
They are made. They train to become marathon runners. Though you have chosen to
be an entrepreneur and are passionate about your idea, it is the disciple and
endurance that will take you through to the end. Here are eight leadership
lessons from marathon runners that an entrepreneur can learn to remain
energized.
1. Run, run, run; do, do, do
It is mid-week already, and
you are losing steam. That’s where the importance of daily discipline plays an
important role. Says Founder-CEO of a Singapore and Bangalore based software
company that focuses on management training, assessment and research, “Very
early on, my fitness trainer instilled in me the importance of being
disciplined about managing time and maintaining a routine that works.
"He also emphasized the
value of meticulously following the agreed plan.
"Needless to say, in a
start-up as well, where timelines are extremely short and the team members don
multiple hats, it is imperative that the start-up leader reinforces the
importance of time management and sticking to the plan.
"Without financial and
operational discipline, the start-up can very quickly burn its resources and
find itself in a tight spot.”
Spend the best part of your
day doing whatever it is your start-up claims to solve. Do it diligently and
every day. If you are focused on customer acquisition even making cold calls is
better than just sitting tight in the hope that customers will find you.
Nurture consistency.
2. Set small goals
We are always reminded of taking
one step at a time. Setting small goals will eventually lead to the larger
goal. Subway spokesperson, told MensFitness.com that he “eased into distance
running by setting smaller goals -- a 5k, a 10k, a half-marathon -- and he
planned long runs, usually on Mondays, to ‘get it out of the way’, adding two
more short runs throughout the rest of the week.”
Whether you aim to be the next
Flipkart or Google or any of your dream brands, first consolidate your base,
and draw up small goals every quarter that will eventually add up to your
larger goal.
3. Let go, sometimes
You cannot control everything.
Things like bad weather and injury are not in a runner’s hand. You have to take
what comes your way and hope for the best. Entrepreneurs are often guilty of pushing
themselves to work, even when they are not being productive. At such times, do
something else that interests you. How do you decide when is the time to
persevere and when is the time to stop?
“I have learnt from one of my mentors that
when it comes to business, one should follow it passionately but not get
involved emotionally in it. I completely believe in it. When you get emotional
about your business, you become stubborn and want it to work out at any cost
which may not necessarily happen in real life.”
4. Work with people who energize you
Negative energy spreads fast.
Avoid being around people who pull you down. Even though, marathon runners run
alone, they draw inspiration and energy from fellow runners.
Co-founder of Nexus Venture
Partners, says, “Companies make mistakes, lots of moves don’t work out. But
then you have to buckle down and make the difficult decisions of letting go of
people who are not working out.
"You really have to
understand what motivates your employees.”
"Engineers, for example,
are looking to solve hard, challenging problems.”
"They’re looking at
global issues, they want to create wealth and maybe become famous!”
"Understanding what
drives individuals and positioning your message accordingly is the key to
‘selling’ to your employees as well."
5. Avoid burnout
Professional runners never
dismiss the threat of a burnout. Often injury or burnout leads to frustration. Be
aware that burnout is inevitable if you ignore the signs of stress. Try getting
eight hours of sleep a day. Eat nutritious foods. Exercise regularly and
immerse yourself in non-work activities, too. This will help strengthen your
entrepreneurial fitness and ensure you remain energized.
Fitness experts say,
"Even if your job requires you to be up at odd times, try to sleep and
wake up at the same times every day. A sleep deprived person can be cranky and
disagreeable, and that’s probably bad for PR! When you’re tired, all your
troubles feel magnified, and this can lead to greater stress."
6. Run your own race
When you run a marathon, you
run against the distance, not against the other runners. Entrepreneurs always
have an eye on the competition and are always measuring themselves against
other entrepreneurs. We read about how they do things differently, how they
manage to be successful and how we should be applying all of those things to
our own lives.
Leadership coach focused on
start-ups: Foundational Tools for Inspiring and Enabling Your New Team, says,
"Building strategic partnerships is a great way for small businesses to
grow. Being clear on your strengths and recognizing your gaps will help you
fill the holes and be ahead of your competition."
7. Leave room for failure
We all fail at some point, so
if the race didn’t go well, runners take some time to get over it, and move on
to their next race.
"All of us should learn
to take failure as a positive experience; it is probably the next best thing
(to success) that will ever happen to us in our entrepreneurial journey.”
"You will be surprised by
the level of maturity you will gain. Don’t drag on failure, fail quickly and
move on.”
8. Don’t forget to have fun
If runners did not enjoy
running, the whole purpose of why they run would be pointless. In the end, do
not forget why you took the plunge to become an entrepreneur. Have fun doing
what you do to make the world a better place.
Source - copied from Internet and it is just for information.
