Empowered & Powered Up To Perform

How many of you actually practise empowerment with your staff? How do you know that your staff feels empowered due to your leadership?

We can empower ourselves with knowledge, skills, experience, exposure, attitude and relationships. Learning from our mistakes can also enhance our ability to feel empowered by the authority bestowed upon us. To empower staff, delegate to the best person for the task, so they may succeed even with stretch goals. Also, be mindful to relinquish part of your authority to your staff (so they may act independently in your relative absence), yet still hold on to the responsibility (when things go on a tangent).

Thank you, sponsors for supporting our charity of choice. We have managed to earn a total of Z$3,258.00 for CF4Kids. I like to thank the following people personally for making this goal of mine happen: Integrative Learning Corporation (Singapore), Lim Fung, Kum Choy Yin, David Chambers, Dennis Yeo, Dennis Quek, Winston Koh, Desmond Chow, Vijay, Sanae; Sivasothi, Susan Ng, Phoon,Sur, Hana & Lina; and Caroline Shum.

My express-ordered, Elite-expedited, unpainted ride for IMNZ 2012 looks like this; I joked that she is made from washing-machine parts (a nod to the Flying Scotsman). My Elite Custom Razor looks raw (I adore the look of the old steel, classic bikes), like Frankenstein’s monster with diversity through grafted parts. I will retro-paint her after the race, where I will decide which colour scheme best describes her. I have retained my original carbon forks, which have my name on them and are painted in the original maroon. At least, a few of my friends have, finally, seen what a custom-crafted bike looks like from the 'inside'. Knowledge empowers us by helping feel confident from the inside. I am ready to powerfully race on Saturday, so my racing attitude and mindset are designed for my 226K worth of triathlon adventure.

Leadership Lessons: Learn to delegate and empower differently. Ask for feedback on your ability to empower. If you are not empowering, stop saying that you are. Stop using buzzwords until they go out of fashion.

Raising Funds & Raising Hope

My friend, Vijay wrote a comment on Facebook to me:

In lieu of your worthy cause:

"Your now a Purpose Driven Knife."

Excel You shall, Go forth you Will.

This poem is an encouraging reminder of my tasks at hand on 3 March. Already, we have raised a total amount of NZ$3,158 for our charity through Ironman Team-Varella, Cystic Fibrosis for Kids (CF4Kids). We are actually number 5 on the top-fundraisers list. I am very grateful to my partners-in-charity who will help fulfill expectations and, perhaps, dreams. Also, I am on-track and hopeful to complete my 16-week preparation for Ironman New Zealand. It is my final two weeks of tapering: less mileage, sustained intensity and stimulation, and more recovery.

It warms my cockles to know that so many friends are behind my charity of choice, as well as supporting me. After last night’s 17K run in 90 minutes (meeting my goal pace: 11kph, cadence 90-92, RPE: 6-7.5), and this morning’s lagoon swim (3.2K) with 29 other swimmers, I feel confident of my recovery and race targets. With this morning’s wetsuit swim, I managed to stroke my way near the leading pack and enjoying my invested motions. Those twice-weekly pool-buoy sessions (using arms only) are translating into more efficient movements; this means I am wasting less effort, yet still putting myself into the grind, and finding my groove.

I am looking forward to tomorrow’s 3-hour ride and 30-minute run. Then, I will head off for a 3-day working trip before I pack for the Big Dance in Taupo, Auckland.

These valued words of encouragement and support empowers me, and directs me to my goals with purpose.

Updates on IMNZ 2012

I am doing much better: My injuries, sustained during a freak accident, seem to be healing. I can swim, ride and run with less discomfort. Overall, my fitness is enhanced; I have achieved some of my goals like hitting an average running cadence of 90-92 footfalls per minute, holding the pace during my time trials (with heavy gears), managing the short intervals during swim-sets, and adjusting to my renewed nutrition plan.

Last week, I missed my last long ride and still have a 90K, tapering ride to do this weekend. On Monday, I swam 3.1K (main sets being 20X100m with pull-buoy) followed with an hour running at 11kph pace (my desired Ironman marathon pace). On Sunday, I rode 100 minutes on the stationary-bike, followed immediately with 20 minutes on the treadmill at race-pace. So far, all systems go! With two and half weeks left, my taper has to be precise and safe until I reach Lake Taupo.

Coach Craig ‘Fox’ Holland has been encouraging and directive with my weekly training program, culminating this week as the beginning of the tapering weeks. Dhubai-based David Chambers has been supportive from afar, with his constant e-mails and status of his quest for endurance glory. My donors to my charity, CF4Kids have also been my motivator, placing their faith in my personal challenge and cause.

It has been said ‘Third’s time a charm!’ I truly hope so, as this has been my toughest preparation for the 226K-triathlon format since IMWA 2006. I look forward to my 4K swim this evening before my club’s AGM. I have still more to do, before I sculpt the great statue from the block of stone! I just need to remove the unwanted bits and pieces before revealing the wonderful statue from within.