These were the words from Running Coach Benett on Nike Running Club. These words were important during that first 10k run in double-digit months, but what was more prophetic was the impact of these words. He said that when we compete or run, we do not remind ourselves to take that step back when things are going right, instead we do it too late, when things are going horribly wrong. We are not in the right physical or mental state to take that step back to analyze what went wrong as much as we are when we take the step back when things are going per plan and when we are much more receptive to looking at why things are going how they are and how to take it up a notch or sustain that pace.

As I normally do, for the rest of the 2km of the run I had left since I heard this, I began reflecting on where if any, I had applied this concept, even subconsciously. Indeed, I had, and I used to do much more of this, i.e. celebrating small wins, remembering to give the team or myself or the family a pat on the back for… nothing! Just for being there, coming in, showing up and putting the effort. The results don’t matter every single day, the joy in showing up will yield results. So few leaders understand that they cannot just run the machine, they need to step back, even when things are going well. Just express gratitude and compassion for everything your troops are sacrificing to move the initiative forward.

Today, in the run, just expressing gratitude to my feet, body and mind for showing up and trying to do something I hadn’t in a while, kept me going. I remember a famous run, Big Sur Marathon, my first ever, where I kept thanking my stars for the opportunity to get to the start line (via a lottery!), mother nature for the breathtaking beauty throughout the course, the taiko drummers who prepped us up the most challenging hill, Hurricane Point, which has an intimidating 560 ft climb. Their intense drumming echoes through the hills reminding us to take one step after another. That strawberry lady at mile 21, breathing life into everyone who are pretty much spent and have almost no fuel left. I am of course talking about the time slice which is well past 4 hours since the race began ;) So the runners are not Kenyan sprinters who have probably caught their choppers off Canary Row. The point is this, celebrating small but meaningful wins, propels you to surge ahead in the toughest of times knowing you are better than any average Joe or Jill that did not step off the couch.

Stepping back when your product or company is doing great to evaluate why things are going the way they are, can mean the difference between you sustaining your run or not. Too many CEOs overwork their engines so that in a trough, when there is no funding and the perks dry up, their staff is not motivated to stay on. Loyalty cannot be taken for granted, but it can be built by treating your team to a small but meaningful celebration on those critical small wins, not taking everyone’s time or sacrifice for granted. Not gloating about your founding or contribution as the key reasons for success. Spreading the joy, enjoying the moment with your team and reminding them on what got you all there and what it takes to climb the next Hurricane Point will get you past it. You gotta be the Taiku drummer that takes them up. Imagine if you keep yelling or spread toxicity, people will check out.

Same thing goes for parents who are pushing their kids hard. Back off when they score that B or even make a genuine effort that goes beyond their capabilities. Stop comparing to others that did it better. Celebrate the effort, remind them how hard they worked and how proud you are. They will do better, even if not, they will be more confident. Heck my parents would celebrate me failing a class, did it make me complacent? Not, because I tried, but despite my best effort, I could not do better. My parents recognized that. I had to move countries, shift to a much more competitive environment, deal with social circles that I wasn’t part of, teachers I did not know, rigor I was not used to. They gave me time, they gave me encouragement and that next shot to do better. Soon it turned around, taught all of us something and we got to a better state.

As is my recent trend - can you ask AI to back off and celebrate its right answers or the help? I certainly thank Alexa, Siri or ChatGPT for their impact on my life. Even if the robots themselves don’t have emotions, the people behind them will and they will build better tools that save us more time, get us better responses. So, do take a step back before you forge ahead!

These were the words from Running Coach Benett on Nike Running Club. These words were important during that first 10k run in double-digit months, but what was more prophetic was the impact of these words. He said that when we compete or run, we do not remind ourselves to take that step back when things are going right, instead we do it too late, when things are going horribly wrong. We are not in the right physical or mental state to take that step back to analyze what went wrong as much as we are when we take the step back when things are going per plan and when we are much more receptive to looking at why things are going how they are and how to take it up a notch or sustain that pace.

As I normally do, for the rest of the 2km of the run I had left since I heard this, I began reflecting on where if any, I had applied this concept, even subconsciously. Indeed, I had, and I used to do much more of this, i.e. celebrating small wins, remembering to give the team or myself or the family a pat on the back for… nothing! Just for being there, coming in, showing up and putting the effort. The results don’t matter every single day, the joy in showing up will yield results. So few leaders understand that they cannot just run the machine, they need to step back, even when things are going well. Just express gratitude and compassion for everything your troops are sacrificing to move the initiative forward.

Today, in the run, just expressing gratitude to my feet, body and mind for showing up and trying to do something I hadn’t in a while, kept me going. I remember a famous run, Big Sur Marathon, my first ever, where I kept thanking my stars for the opportunity to get to the start line (via a lottery!), mother nature for the breathtaking beauty throughout the course, the taiko drummers who prepped us up the most challenging hill, Hurricane Point, which has an intimidating 560 ft climb. Their intense drumming echoes through the hills reminding us to take one step after another. That strawberry lady at mile 21, breathing life into everyone who are pretty much spent and have almost no fuel left. I am of course talking about the time slice which is well past 4 hours since the race began ;) So the runners are not Kenyan sprinters who have probably caught their choppers off Canary Row. The point is this, celebrating small but meaningful wins, propels you to surge ahead in the toughest of times knowing you are better than any average Joe or Jill that did not step off the couch.

Stepping back when your product or company is doing great to evaluate why things are going the way they are, can mean the difference between you sustaining your run or not. Too many CEOs overwork their engines so that in a trough, when there is no funding and the perks dry up, their staff is not motivated to stay on. Loyalty cannot be taken for granted, but it can be built by treating your team to a small but meaningful celebration on those critical small wins, not taking everyone’s time or sacrifice for granted. Not gloating about your founding or contribution as the key reasons for success. Spreading the joy, enjoying the moment with your team and reminding them on what got you all there and what it takes to climb the next Hurricane Point will get you past it. You gotta be the Taiku drummer that takes them up. Imagine if you keep yelling or spread toxicity, people will check out.

Same thing goes for parents who are pushing their kids hard. Back off when they score that B or even make a genuine effort that goes beyond their capabilities. Stop comparing to others that did it better. Celebrate the effort, remind them how hard they worked and how proud you are. They will do better, even if not, they will be more confident. Heck my parents would celebrate me failing a class, did it make me complacent? Not, because I tried, but despite my best effort, I could not do better. My parents recognized that. I had to move countries, shift to a much more competitive environment, deal with social circles that I wasn’t part of, teachers I did not know, rigor I was not used to. They gave me time, they gave me encouragement and that next shot to do better. Soon it turned around, taught all of us something and we got to a better state.

As is my recent trend - can you ask AI to back off and celebrate its right answers or the help? I certainly thank Alexa, Siri or ChatGPT for their impact on my life. Even if the robots themselves don’t have emotions, the people behind them will and they will build better tools that save us more time, get us better responses. So, do take a step back before you forge ahead!