Staying On Top of Your Game

‘I once met a renowned farmer. He was the top in his field. He was the only one.’

How long can you be number 1? Numero Uno? The Chief Poobah?

Maintaining your position or status is one thing, maintaining your performance is another. Performance does not stay static, unless you are experiencing the doldrums or nadir due to injury or illness. That is why we talk about peak performance, timing it to coincide with a major race or competition. We can miss the mark because we failed to time our peak performance. That accounts for the observation that we tend to be fitter after a major race, than before or during it.

How do you stay at the top of your game?

Consistency is one major factor that contributes to prolonged time at peak performance. Repetition and regular practice makes for more perfect games. You may not always bowl Perfect Games (300), yet you can create a sense if readiness and responsiveness for each opportunity. Luck is a term to describe flukes and aberrations of normalcy; you cannot fake poor performance.

The other factors are determination and dedication. Stay committed to your cause and purpose. Reduce your procrastinations. Motivate yourself to do what you set out to do. Keep your eye on the game. Be on the ball. When the going gets tough, keep going. If you can’t secure a personal best timing, then go for the completion. A Disqualification (DQ) has more permanence on your disappointments than a less-than-expected outcome. Do your best. You best only matters.

Like an approach to athletic excellence: go as fast as you can for so long. This may work, as long as you are mentally and physically ready to take on your best, and with the best in your field.

Your Accomplishment Is Your Achievement

All the best to the runners doing the Penang Bridge International Marathon tomorrow morning! Congratulations to those who completed the Oxfam Trailwalker Hong Kong, too! More importantly, thanks to the latter they raised funds for a worthy cause.

Amateur sports can be competitive, however it need not be unduly serious. Most of the time, participants train seriously for their races aiming to complete or compete. It does not make a finisher any less worthy when they choose to aim for a completion certificate, finisher medal, and post-achievement jubilation. If you make time from your routine to train, you have demonstrated your personal leadership for being ready, able and willing!

My friend, Marathon Mohan has completed in excess of 130 marathons; completing them is a foregone conclusion. Instead, he elects to be the unofficial Cheerleader – encouraging new runners to complete their first race. Another friend, Ai Lin has done about 80 marathons over the years and continues to race for the sheer joy of it. Others race because they wish to raise funds for a charity cause. Yet, others participate to show their personal support for something they truly believe in, be it for cancer research, health or for survivors.

Last week, my swim-mate Dennis and many others raced and raised funds for the Wheelathon 360. The goal was to raise funds for physically-challenged athletes to participate in overseas competition. In spite of the rain, it was a successful event that saw a very supportive community.

I have decided to assist the Cystic Fibrosis for Children of New Zealand raise funds again for Ironman New Zealand 2012. Why? Because I enjoyed the last time I engaged in this process. Fund-raisers were invited to meet the children and their parents, and celebrate in their progress. Exercise was a key intervention for keeping these children active and alive.

To each his/her own – and may you still enjoy your sense of purpose!

Leadership Lessons: Run, walk or crawl – just finish what you started. You can, occasionally, race by feeling instead of timing. Enhance and expand on your experience.

In Memory & Memoriums

'I will not tell you how he died. Instead, I will tell you how he lived.' ~ Last Samurai.

Today marks the anniversary of 11 September. Around the world, people are doing a remembrance. The news coverage for this memorial event in the USA has been extensive. Touching ceremonies were conducted worldwide to celebrate the heroes and remember loved ones.

Can you recall what you were doing when this catastrophic event of global implication occurred? I recall I walked into my hallway and saw a television news report of plumes of smoke emanating from a building in New York. Subsequently, I thought it was an errant pilot of a small, private, propellor-plane that veered off-course; it was not to be. I spent the whole night worrying over my close friends in NYC; the phone-lines there were jammed. I went to work disturbingly alert and concerned about the consequence of the three events over three locations in the States.

After 9/11 our world has never been the same again – and this is not a cliché – where our collective security is concerned. The sense of paranoia and distrust for others has created discrimination and prejudice – toxic elements in potential relationships with others. Decisions and policies were made – at times seemingly absurd and easy to criticize – that were meant to benefit the larger group. However, this has led to breakdown in reasoning, creation of fear, suspicion, and cynicism.

We need not succumb to the confusion and conundrum. We can elect to shift our perspectives and live our lives with meaning and purpose, instead of fear, trepidation and anxiety. We can look out for each other. We can create collaboration, so that in unity we have strength. We can have a shared purpose and achieve common goals. The Tribes of the world can express themselves in positive ways. This morning, I joined about 400 triathletes in doing the Mega-Triathlon. We shared a common goal of suffering, however with a sense of achievement. Participants who once were strangers connected with each other during the course of the long day.

Celebrate each day we have with others fully and with intent. We only have now.

Company Retreats: A Move Forward or Backward?

Love it, or hate it – corporate retreats are an intrinsic part of organizations. What are the common objectives of such off-site events? Is it work, or planning for more work? In essence, it is aimed at:

1)    Conducting strategic planning session.

2)    Engaging in teambuilding events.

3)    Rallying support for impending initiatives.

4)    Gelling the team together.

In effect, the results vary widely. These purposes and intentions are sound and relevant, in principle. However, how do we engage the minds and hearts in this, usually, costly processes?

1)    Hold these retreats with a clear sense of purpose and agenda.

2)    Create a sense of enjoyment and occasion.

3)    Involve management, and encourage them to be a strong part of such events.

4)    Connect with every one of your staff: before, during, and after.

5)    Take the opportunity to make progress, take steps forward, and leave the past behind.

6)    This is not a chiding or lambasting session, so stick to the plan.

7)    Relate, resolve and respond to staff and their concerns.

8)    Stop being penny-wise, and pound-foolish.

The next time that you organize a company retreat, how would you approach it? Move forward, not backwards!

Resolute Resolutions: Keeping Clear Orientations of Outcomes

2 January 2011, Sunday.

Day 2 of this brand-new year; I slept in a little and missed my personal start-off time for my first bike ride of the year. I, eventually, rode easy (with many others who may be working off the post-New Year feasting guilt) for about two hours; head-winds were committed to motivate me to work harder than I intended though. Yesterday morning, I did a swim-run brick session with friends from Triathlon Family and that I enjoyed that. Tomorrow, I take the plunge into an area of weakness and immerse myself in new discovery and adventure.

Mel, finally, worked out the kinks in our home wireless system. We got a new modem-router and configured/reconfigured (took many attempts) before we got lift-off. I am, now, happily uploading applications for my iPad – my new tool for business presentations. It is high time I fully integrated and applied my working knowledge of Social Media 2.0.

2011 will be a year of business expansion, active collaboration, and purposeful charity work. I will spend most of this week meeting existing business associates, new project partners, and interns (a form of mentoring for new entrants to the working world). For my personal development, I will be focused on enhancing my business acumen, active networking, developing my market niche and personal mastery. My three key orientations, that focuses on IQ, EQ and AQ will be:

1)    Head (learn and lead with purpose; develop skills of distinction and signature moves)

2)    Heart (be more people-orientated; fully engage and be engaged with others; really connect on a physical and emotional level)

3)    Hands (develop a stronger sense of charity and altruism; learn new skills using my hands)

What will be your mental orientations? What will you be doing to develop your sense of purpose? How will you connect with your colleagues, business partners, customers and family?

The Allure of the Extreme in Personal Leadership

The phrase ‘extreme sports’ refers to high risk sporting activities, including those adventure races. Mountaineering and rock-climbing is categorized here, as climbers risk extreme weather and terrain conditions. Surfing in shark-infested waters raises its risk-level higher than if swimming in the public pool. Mountain-biking, off-road, is a dangerous sport if you allow yourself to get careless and accelerate downhill without control. Cycling on public roads is becoming an extreme sport according to the many cyclists I spoke to. Swimming in local waters, polluted by careless dumping and littering can be extreme, too!

Within four hours of its release, Ironman Western Australia 2011 sold out completely. This is akin to Lake Placid and other popular American Ironman distance triathlons. IM New Zealand 2011 sold out for the first time in its two-decade history, way before the middle of this year. IM Lanzarote and IM Canada followed suit. In response to this frenzy of interest for the 226K triathlons, more races are being created including those non M-Dot sanctioned races. Boutique races like Vineman and Norseman still attracts neophytes and seasoned triathletes. Disappointed latecomers are churning the Ironman/Long-Distance Triathlon waters to have a bite of the next opened event, or special slots.

What exactly is the attraction of Ironman/M-Dot races? What makes Ironman triathlon such an exciting proposition? My casual surveys at such races reveal that:

1)    It is one of the toughest physical challenges you can undertake (and succeed with guidance and hard work).

2)    It is a great confidence-booster (check out the heightened postures after a race).

3)    You get to wear cool t-shirts and post-race merchandise.

4)    It shifts one’s personal paradigms, and redefines personal limits.

5)    Stating on your LinkedIn page that you completed an Ironman triathlon may invite curious questions from other members (so, it enhances networking possibilities).

6)    You get more photographs tagged of you even when you raced solo.

7)    When you break down the 226K-race into its components, jaws will drop.

8)    The facial expressions you earn are (after you describe your race is), simply, priceless!

Perhaps, we are searching for the next challenge to accomplish. Challenges create a sense of purpose; intrinsic motivators like our values, beliefs and behaviors support our purpose. Our purpose links to reality when we plan and create objectives for ourselves. We may be seeking the next metaphorical ‘highest mountain’ to climb? After all, taglines and cliches like ‘anything is possible’ or ‘nothing is possible’ becomes the de rigeur personal standards for personal leadership? Or, in a matter of speaking, we get to ‘brag for life’.

Leading with a Purpose

It has been an interesting week for me.

I have, so far, raised about NZ$795 for Kids with Cystic Fibrosis (Breath4CF) - the adopted charity of Ironman New Zealand. My business associate has pledged another $1,000 and that means that we have significantly exceeded our initial target. I am so grateful to my sponsors/donors for supporting my cause.

One recent donor/sponsor is Aaron Fleming, author of ‘Purpose’. He suffered a collapsed lung twice, and had an addiction to painkillers. By insurmountable odds, he reframed his life, completed three Ironman triathlons, and is now a speaker to kids about the notion of purpose. He was the ambassador for New Zealand at the Beijing Olympics 2008.

During an evening workshop for accountants, an audience member challenged me, indirectly, by concealing a card from me during my performance of a magic trick. I knew that he was either being cheeky or misunderstood my instruction, however decided to stop my questioning of his integrity prematurely. I watched the body language of members of his table, and calibrated these for his truthfulness. I knew that it was pointless to argue with him, despite the fact that he nearly sabotaged my demonstration. I moved on; it was pointless for anyone to lose face. There was a private time for embarrassment, when there was a lesson to be deliberately taught. The large playing card (12” X 6”) was found on the table later. I said: ‘I knew it was there all along! The question is: How did I know?’

The president of the association commended me at the end of my workshop. He was worried that I would be thrown off balance and be upset – which I never telescoped to my audience. He told me that there were, historically, trainers who were annoyed with audience members, and I wasn’t one of them. I always believed that being professional is about not being personal.

Leadership Lessons: It is important to have purpose in our life. Without a strong sense of purpose, we may become aimless and wander from one distraction to another. Purpose gives us a sense of direction, be it a performance target, sales goal, establishing a new relationship or mending picket fences. Finding a cause, and supporting it also creates a sense of purpose, and our actions that follow reflect it. Go on – create your purpose-driven life!