Journey to Kona Day 5: Harnessing Who We Are

I can be very passionate about the things I believe strongly in.  That passion can be infectious. When I was a boy, I read “Call of the Wild,” by Jack London.  It’s about a dog named Buck, who finds out that he has natural leadership abilities.  Several years ago, I recognized that I had something in common with Buck. When I believe strongly about something, I have the ability to galvanize others to work together for a common good.  This has certainly helped me at various times during my career. Ironically, I realized today that others might recognize this talent and encourage me to use it to benefit them.  I’ve actually had that happen a few times over the years in various settings.  Since I have a tendency to look for the good in people, I might not always see ulterior motives.

Being an optimist and seeing the good in people can be admirable traits, but as I wrote yesterday, they can be traits that bring you directly into the lion’s den.  Since very few things in life are truly black and white, it’s not that hard to end up mistaken about a grey area.  There is not a simple solution or answer to the question that I am proposing here.  It’s more of a warning.  Look at all angles. Recognize that there may be a variety of motives present.  Identify the possible outcomes and implications of one’s actions.

There is a huge responsibility attached to being a natural leader. There are also great opportunities. I’ve written about the fact that I am willing to take risks in order to achieve the greater good. But life is still a balancing act.  Are the risks too great?  One doesn’t often know until after the fact.  If you don’t try, you won’t know the answer.  Once again, the ironman analogies abound. You can push yourself to great heights, but sometimes you push too far and everything comes crashing down.

Switching gears, I only had time for a short run this morning and ran 1.4 miles completely focused on a fast cadence.  I managed to keep close to my goal of 180 steps/minute.  If I keep practicing that, I can hopefully, develop it as a habit that will have a positive impact on my running economy. The discipline to practice that is similar to the discipline I need to have to effectively utilize my leadership skills.