Ginny Wilson-Peters' Blog

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint December 14, 2011

Leadership is a journey, not a destination
It is a marathon, not a sprint.
It is a process, not an outcome.

John Donahoe, president of eBay

A number of years ago I went on a 4 day white water rafting trip on the Green River in Utah.  The route was mostly level 2 and 3 rapids with an occasional level 4.  There were three rafts in our group.  I remember getting to our raft and looking at our guide—a young man who was just eighteen years old.  My mind went to judgment and my body went to fear about his potential inexperience.  Then I asked him how long he had been rafting and how he approached things.  His answer sealed the deal for me.  “I’ve been rafting on this river since I was 14 years old.  But every time I come to this river I always assume it will be different than any time before.  The river can change in an instant—and I don’t take anything for granted.”

Alrighty then, we’re going to be just fine—and we were.

But that trip is such a reminder for me that leadership is an ongoing journey—and one that can change in an instant.  And unlike the rafting trip, where we are encouraged to travel light, our leadership journey is one in which we often bring years of experience (and bad habits along with us).

Last week I heard an energizing and inspiring presentation by Chad Pregracke, Founder and President of Living Lands and Water.  While Chad had many great things to say about his journey, three things stood out for me.  First, he talked about approaching a local company to sponsor him and he asked for a large sum of money (a sum that many people would say he was crazy to ask for).  His comment, “I didn’t set out with small intentions.”

Second, Chad said that if you set out to do good things, then good things will happen to you.

And finally, Chad said he read somewhere that the earth wasn’t destroyed all at one, but piece by piece.  “And so that is how it needs to be cleaned up” one day at a time.

Those same lessons apply to our leadership journey, as was evidenced by the fact that the same day I heard Chad speak I had an email from a coaching client who is working to redirect some of her leadership efforts and overcome bad habits.  She said, “I’m working on the things we talked about.  It’s hard to change fifty-something years of bad habits…but I’m starting.”

And that is all that we can ask.  If you follow Chad’s advice, you can start something with big goals, but also recognize that you’re going to achieve those one day at a time.   And remember, that leadership development really is a marathon, not a sprint!