Category Archives: Running

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Relentless Forward Motion

What does it take to be a great leader? It’s something that I’ve thought a lot about lately, with more and more leaders failing and a seeming dirth of new leaders to take their place.

Then it hit me…

It’s what it takes to be great in any endeavor we take on. We have to have relentless forward motion.

Relentless Forward Motion

What do you bring to mind when you think about relentless forward motion? I want you to consider what each word in this simple phrase means:

RELENTLESS: oppressively constant; incessant

FORWARD: onward so as to make progress; toward a successful conclusion

MOTION: the action or process of being moved

Let’s put those definitions together to make it relatable as a leader. Relentless forward motion in leadership is:

The constant, incessant movement and progress toward a goal.  Read more...

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7 Leadership Lessons From The London Marathon

Five years ago, I ran my first marathon. It was the Grand Rapids Marathon in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After this marathon, I said I would never run another marathon again.

Fast forward to 2024…

I ran my second full marathon. This time, in London, England.

Man with dark hair in an orange tank top jersey running the streets of London in the London Marathon

Photo by Pamela Lalonde

Running the London Marathon wasn’t a dream come true. It wasn’t something I’d longed to do. Yet, when the invitation from Team World Vision came to run the London Marathon and change kids’ lives, I couldn’t say no.

Pamela and I spent nine full days in London. We got to see so much and experience so much. You may hear about those experiences in a later post. This post is going to be about the lessons from the London Marathon.  Read more...

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How Personal Development Nurtures Success

Personal development is vital to any kind of success in your life. Whether you want to be a better husband, mother, business leader, or person, you must work on yourself.

Thus, personal development nurtures success.

You’re not going to find personal development easy. It’s not a light task. You will have to work hard. This journey will take you on a pathway of exploring yourself, discovering what needs to change, and figuring out how to implement those changes. When we see ourselves as needing to improve, it can be painful!

Ouch!

The introspection you do on yourself will hurt. However, personal reflection helps you see where you need to go. So, introspect and grow. 

How Personal Development Nurtures Success

There are steps you can take to continue your personal development journey so that you can become more successful. The most successful people do it, even Oprah Winfrey.  Read more...

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Leadership Lessons From A Marathon Run

What a marathon taught me about leadership

Never in my life did I want to run a marathon. I thought it wasn’t for me. And the distance, 26.2 miles, seemed too far for my legs to carry me. Yet, this past Sunday, I ran my first (and I’m saying my only) marathon.

What running a marathon can teach you about leadership

Image by Matt Biller

I ran the marathon for a reason. In areas without access to clean water 1 out of every 2 children die before the age of 5 because of water-related issues. Because of this, I chose to run with Team World Vision and bring clean water to these children. Currently, the West Michigan Team World Vision team raised over $400,000 in donations for clean water. That’s a lot of people’s lives changed! You can still make a difference by going HERE and donating.

So, that’s why I ran a marathon this year. Through this marathon experience, I was reminded of key leadership truths. We’re going to take a look at those leadership truths in the rest of this article.  Read more...