I was at my middle child’s track meet watching fourth graders run their hardest and trying to win races. I made the mistake of volunteering not realizing it would feel like late Fall instead of early Spring, but it was time with my son therefore freezing was worth it.
While watching the distance races I saw some of the kids burst out and they were in the lead way ahead of everybody else . . . until the final part of the race. At that point people were catching up and even passing the leader. These young boys and girls did not know how to pace themselves in a manner that would sustain their energy so they could give their greatest burst when they needed it the most.
There were three types of runners I saw during the long races.
- The pacers. These were the kids that were smart enough to know their capacity and what pace they could sustain through a race. They would start to the back or middle of the pack, but eventually end toward the front.
- The talented. These are what I would call the “energizer bunnies.” They had the capacity to go all out . . . and sustain it throughout the race. There were only one or two of those. These individuals ran their hearts out and appeared only mildly tired at the end. Was it talent or training? I’m not sure, but I’m sure the former was part of their ability.
- The survivors. These were the ones who were happy to finish the race without getting sick or embarrassing themselves. They sustained the pace they could handle without killing themselves.
As I reflected the following morning, I was thinking this is how I lead myself and others. If leadership is nothing more than influence then how I lead myself will model how those around me at work and home will learn how to lead themselves.
Survival Leadership – this is when I run like crazy from one urgent need to another both personally and professionally. We have so many proverbial plates spinning that we try to keep them all in the air . . . alone. I would challenge I am not leading at this point, but just managing. I am working in my life/job, but not on my life/job.
Talented Leadership – this is the person who relies on his or her natural abilities to lead, but may not ever be growing so they stagnate as well as the organization they lead. This also can be the person who has amazing capacity such as the person who can successfully accomplish multiple projects on little sleep and may not even have habits to help them recharge, they just “grind on.” If this person gets on a growth path with a coach and allows others to help them think into their life they can grow from a good to a great leader.
Pacesetting Leadership – this leader knows where they are now and their present abilities, but knows they can grow and go further. This person sees the big picture and daily implements habits to help them and their team reach the ultimate goal. They go slow enough to lead others, but fast enough to not allow the organization to become stagnant and they are constantly adjusting similar to the “pacer” in a race.
Do you fall into one or multiple of these leadership styles? Do you need people to help you grow in your journey, maybe even a coach? What habits are you developing to help you maintain a sustainable pace and help you grow to the next level? Surround yourself with a strong team and keep running the leadership race and adjusting to improve every day.
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