Our life is mainly driven by the life goals. Life goals are measured by our success and the path which determine our satisfaction. Most of us will be having both personal and professional goals. A good leader is like a marathon runner. He knows he has a long distance to run, but it is important that he realize stamina and endurance that will carry him through, not the speed. Here are a few things which marathon can teach for building leadership:

Run, run, run; do, do, do:

If you are in middle of the week and losing your pace and command, it is your daily routine that plays a major role. During the training of marathons, trainers insists on being disciplined, managing time and maintain a routine that works. Trainers also emphasized the value of strictly following the agreed plan. It is important for the start up leaders to reinforce the importance of time management and sticking to the actual plan when the time limits are extremely short and team members are not up to the mark.

Set small goals:

In marathon, runners set small distance marks to achieve first, this gradually takes them to reach the big target of reaching the finishing line. Similarly, business owners should not be in a hurry to take big leaps on first day itself. It is always easy and motivating to achieve small targets. Goals set and achieved in every quarter gives enough experience to the team to gradually increase revenue for the whole year. .

Let go, sometimes:

We cannot control everything. Things like injuries and natural calamities cannot be controlled by athletes. We have to take what comes in our way, adapt the situation and give our best. Most of the time, entrepreneurs are pushing themselves or their team to convert big budget deals, knowing they do not carry the potential (at present) to serve that client. Successful leaders know when they have to preserve and when they have to perform.

Work with people who energize you:

Avoid being with people who pull you down, as negative energy spreads fast. Marathon runners run alone but still they draw inspiration and energy from fellow runners. Sometimes companies make mistakes, most of the moves don’t work in our way. These are the times when entrepreneurs should come in contact with successful leaders, take inspiration from them and let go off the people who are not willing to push up the environment.

Avoid burnout:

Professional athletics never dismiss the threat of a burnout. Frequent injury or burnout leads to frustration. Be aware that burnout is expected if you ignore the signs of stress. Try getting good sleep and nutritious food. Even if your job requires you to work for odd times, try to sleep and awake at the same time daily. Similarly, at work successful leaders keep patience instead of frustrating their team to achieve results.  

Don’t forget to have fun:

If the marathon runner is not enjoying his run then there is no point of running. Have fun in making your world a better place. Connect with fellow participants, learn about their lives and share a bit about yours as well.