Leadership by Charity

‘It is better to give than receive.’

This morning, I decided to sign up for yet another charity cause. In the Ironman Korea 2006 edition, I raised about US$400 for Standard Chartered Bank’s Save A Sight charity initiative. I was delighted that I had enthusiastic supporters who nudged this process along for me.

Sometimes, it just feels naturally good to do something beneficial for others. There are many values we can activate from being charitable. These include generosity of spirit, abundance, care, consideration, recognition, passion, trust, faith, choice, wellbeing, choice and collaboration. Each value connects with another, and they can be combined to create even stronger and robust values. That is why values can be spread, promulgated, propagated and acquired.

Acts of kindness are about being thoughtful. When someone says to you: ‘It’s the thought that counts!’ it means that you have expressed values that are considered thoughtful. Fundraising has always been a popular way of expressing our values that assist others to live better quality lives.

When you select the Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand as your charity to fundraise for, you can be sure that every single dollar you raise will be used to ensure people with Cystic Fibrosis lead a physically active life, something that is essential to preserve their lungs.

Children affected by Cystic Fibrosis need all the help they can to breath easier. Breath4CF was established to help families meet the cost of their children's physical activity needs and to ensure that their quality of life is enhanced and prolonged. Breath4CF grants funds to people with CF for gym memberships, entry fees, lessons, sports equipment etc, in fact Breath4CF will help towards any physical activity for a person with Cystic Fibrosis, that produces a health benefit.

If you would like to make sponsor my charity for the Ironman New Zealand race, please do so at my fundraising web page.

Already, Terence Ng has pledged $1 for each kilometre I complete in the swim, ride and run. The children thank him for his $226 [wink]. Thank you for reading.

A Cause To Celebrate

If your new year resolutions and convictions include being charitable, then here is a cause worth supporting, and it does not cost much.

Did you know that

• Radio stations in Belgium, Netherlands, Kenya, Sweden and Switzerland simultaneously broadcasted their programs in December 2009 to collect money for malaria projects of the Red Cross?
• These 5 radio stations rose over €16,000,000 to fight malaria?

• HRBoosters continues to fight malaria in 2010 in sub Saharan Africa by donating a number of impregnated mosquito nets related to the number of participants per workshop?

• One impregnated net costs only €5 (five Euros) and will last for 5 years?

• 100% of your donation through “The Against Malaria Foundation” will be used to buy these nets!

If you wish Africans a happy and a healthy new year, you can do that also by going to this web-page where you can find more details on how you donate one or more mosquito nets. Help eradicate malaria, and allow somebody to sleep better at night. Thank you for your attention.

Alan Geraldi In The News Again

A new interview of ultra-marathoner, Alan Geraldi appears here. Previously, Alan was interviewed on Leadership Lessons from Triathlons. This forty-something lawyer, certainly commits actively to going green. Perhaps we can pluck a leave from the same tree?

Alan has completed the Badwater Ultramarathon, and he qualified for the grueling Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run this year. Good luck and all the best, mate!

Photo-credits: Alan Geraldi

Placing Your Best Foot Forwards

Yesterday, we highlighted the commendable efforts of Major Kelly Lim. She showed true grit, a term reserved for those who demonstrate unconditional consideration for others. It is so tempting and easy to throw the towel in, and surrender readily to creature comforts. Yet, some of us choose not to.

In September last year, I attended an early-morning track session with professional triathlete, Pete Jacobs. He gave me pointers to enhance my running speed and stride. He suggested that I lean forward slightly more, and look a few metres ahead of me. He also directed that I push off and land near the ball of my toes. As uncomfortable and awkward as it was, I made these corrections. I also used tempo training, which is running at competitive race pace at specific intervals. Three months later, I delivered my personal best marathon time based on these changes in my footsteps.

Correcting one’s running gait is not easy; test it out for yourself. I spent an afternoon learning Chi Running, and may months shifting my heel-strike technique to the midsole. The purpose of gait and postural correction is to achieve running effectiveness, whilst remaining injury-free and stress-free. The ideal run posture optimizes the use of our centre of gravity, as you run relaxed with little bodily tension. Chi Running and the P.O.S.E. method are recent approaches to running freely, and maximizing your running capability.

Leadership Lessons: When we learn something new, it might be useful to lean into it gradually. Fools rush in. According to Chinese philosopher Lao Tze, the journey of a thousand miles, begins with the first step. Our awkward baby steps may be just what we need to go forwards.

Bravery in the Face of Charity

Major Kelly Lim braved inclement weather and a temperamental terrain, to achieve 150km after 30 hours of running. Having done a meagre 52.5km myself last Sunday's ultramarathon, I salute Major Lim for her concrete courage. Her posture of determination yielded about $24,000 worth of donations to a worthy cause. I encourage you to consider making a small donation, to give her enduring attempt additional momentum, as she nurses her injuries as a result of a punitive regime yesterday. She is still short of her goal of raising $50,000.00 to charity. This poster appeared on her blog today, and give it some thought and pass the message on. If we phrase the message right, it is about the values of generosity, consideration and care that endear ourselves to, in a national-level collaboration.

Pledges and Pledging Your Time

2010 opened with meaning with gratitude as leaders in our sporting communities pledged their time and expertise to help others.

Congratulations to army officer, Major Kelly Lim for completing her 30-hour, 160km, run. She was raising funds for the President’s Challenge. Please make a one-time donation, or pledge for each kilometre that she completed. Plagued by wet weather in the early 50km, she proved relentless and soldiered on. She arrived safely, with small fanfare to a reception committee of loyal MR25 runners and supporters. Members of our career defence force have suitably impressed me; they have continued to demonstrate their physical and leadership fitness.

Matthew, a military officer, led a dozen of us through our paces yesterday morning at the lagoon. He led and encouraged us to swim about 2.4km in the lively, yet clear, open water. Nigel and I led in the 4km fast run; it was part of our swim-run brick.

I am deeply grateful to these leaders and their spirit of generosity. They embrace values that many of us can relate intimately to. How do you care and share for others? What and who have you pledged to support this year?

By the way, yesterday was a palindromic date: 01022010 (if you follow the system of Month-Day-Year). Thanks, Mom for reminding me of the mirrored date!

Clearly Connecting the Aughts

Now that the aughts (plural form of ought) are over – the urban dictionary cites ‘aughts’ as the decade between 2000-2009 – we step into a new decade of decadence. In fact, our calendar is segmented into another aughts, which spanned 1900-1909. The last ten years ended on a low note, what with an inevitable global recession, high unemployment, rogue traders, rodent CEOs, and a displaced sports hero called Tiger. Corporate and moral compasses were spinning madly away, although we cannot place the golfing iconoclast as a beacon of morality or ethics. Journalists and morality pundits seem eager to connect the dots, albeit with inaccurate linkages.

Yet, the immediate future looks brighter even after the excessive fireworks displays have fizzled into toxic ash. No major skirmish was experienced in each New Year countdown. There were many major lessons to be learnt, and hopefully, not repeated. History has a perverse way of playing back episodes like reruns of bad comedies and Shakespearean tragedies.

Asians believe that every decade determines a crucial stage of personal development. With each decade comes a sense of mental and physical development. Wisdom is supposedly accumulated with each decade, as our greying or thinning hairline will have us console ourselves, successfully or otherwise. In our first decade, we experienced spurious and unbridled growth. Our pubertal years were marked with quiet or disquiet rebellion. Our twenties saw us saddle up with work/life imbalance as we jockeyed for a vantage point in society while we established our careers and our amorphous adult identity. Our thirties are marked by battle-scars of physical and psychological wear and tear, as our bodies indicate a need for moderation and maturation. Our forties – the onset of mid-life crisis – is the make or break point, where we are expected to settle down or face social repercussions from our transgressions; and our bodies are screaming for a hiatus, while we absent-mindedly settle into our comforts. Our fifties…you get the picture. I’ll tell you all about it when I get there; until we reach the bridge, as the Chinese would say.

What has the last decade taught you? What did you clearly learn in your ten years of employment? How has your leadership style and approach changed in the aughts? Is it still rock and roll, or a rolling stone gathers no moss, or let the good times roll?

Get Going with Green

Having spent the day reminiscing and ruminating over the year 2009, and its focal points I wrote a piece on the colour GREEN.

Please feel free to respond with your takes, however simple it may be. Let's do our collective part. Cheers!

Personal Resolutions for 2010

1) Complete the Berlin Marathon and qualify for the Boston Marathon 2011 (in a personal best time of less than 3 hours 19 minutes)

2) Secure and earn a collaborative $1 million consulting project

3) Complete my 9^th Ironman triathlon (March)

4) Publish two books (one non-fiction, and one fictional work)

5) Complete writing a screenplay/stage-play within 30 days (April)

6) Officiate and lead in the coveted Singapore Youth Olympic Games

7) Complete at least 365 blogs in 365 days (ending-April)

8) Add 3-5 more countries to my teaching/consulting resume

9) Actively assist friends and associates towards fulfilling their dreams and potential

10)Resume my journalistic pursuits (and review more books and films)

11) Rigorously raise $100,000 for my charities

12) Creatively continue to get Singapore Talents mentioned and positioned prominently on the world map

2010: A New Odyssey

Happy New Year to all Readers and Visitors!

Just a shout-out to all since 2010 sneaked past us about a dozen minutes ago in Singapore.

Eat heartily, sleep mercilessly, for tomorrow we plunge into the waters of a brand, new year. May the year be bountiful and generous to you!