Cover Your Base

In endurance sports, you base training is crucial to your success. Aerobic fitness, or long distance/duration training builds both speed and sustainability in the long run. New Zealand coach, Arthur Lydiard emphasised aerobic training as a base for all endurance athletes; he strongly influenced Nike co-founder and University of Oregon’s coach Bill Bowerman to adapt his philosophy.

These long and, sometimes, lonely runs or rides build our 'base'. Through time, this base forms the foundation for even longer and more demanding races. Endurance training builds muscle memory and avoids shocking the body. It also builds a different form of fitness: stronger joints and muscles that are familiar to tougher work. As such, there are less new and unfamiliar variables to work with.

When things go wrong, staff are known to cover their behinds if they do not want to be incriminated or implicated. It is common to conveniently shift the blame and appoint scapegoats. This is not a nice thing to do yet it has become a survival strategy for such employees. In the long run, this approach builds resentment and lack of confidence for leaders and colleagues.

By being skillful, open to challenges, and constantly testing oneself to new conditions and environments leaders become more useful and effective. Focus on your base knowledge, people-orientated skills, and work collaboratively: build know-what, know-how and know-who.