5000..2500..1000..50..10..5..4..3..2..1 Running my first 5k race has been a challenging experience. There were numerous moments when giving up felt like the best choice. Yet, quitting would have meant never experiencing crossing the finish line and not experiencing the joy of reaching the goal. Like running a race, the hard decisions that come with running an IT company or serving on a board can seem daunting. Customer demands are sometimes mutually exclusive, and strategy discussions require weighing multiple valid options. Yet, sometimes the best plans fail. Then, it becomes essential to acknowledge that you are on the wrong path and change the trajectory.
Here are my stories on why Grid, Drive, and Refocus are crucial in life, IT, and the boardroom.
Grit
The phone! My worst enemy. When I started my work as president of Univention North America, I was mortally afraid to pick up the phone and cold call someone. The combination of never having done it before and the fear of rejection stopped me. It did not matter that identity management and cybersecurity were essential topics to everyone I called.
It took a long time of repetition to overcome the fear. Practicing public speaking at Toastmasters helped. So did networking at various low-key events, where the outcome did not matter.
Yet, the constant repetition of calling prospects on the phone finally conquered my fear. Having the grit to pick up the phone repeatedly drove me to success. Funnily enough, it was a successful call that made me realize how silly I have been. A customer asked me to schedule a more extended call after a cold call. Yet, his opening phrase was: “Who are you again?” They are still a customer. However, it shows how silly the fear was, as people didn’t remember me, and how important it was to grind through it.
Running was the same on the physical level. After the first 100 steps, the mild discomfort made my mind scream, “STOP.” Yet, my body itself had no problem moving forward another 4900 steps. Crossing the finish line would have been unattainable had I listened to my mind.
Differentiating between actual pain and fear and resistance to change makes a significant difference. Developing the fortitude to push through the latter is the key to success. Whether on a physical level or when overcoming fear, pushing through barriers requires us to keep at it.
Vision
Pushing through it was a lot easier with the goal. For me, the purpose was to keep up with the energies of my kids. Without a clear vision, a clear why all the grit in the world will not help achieve a goal.
I have seen the same on the Boards I serve. At the Jacobs University Foundation, we are passionate about making it possible for young people to attend the University in Bremen, Germany. This common idea drives all of us to give our bests and to push through the challenging stretches. With a looming recession and an unpredictable stock market, challenges for my position as treasurer have been plentiful. Yet, the shared vision has helped us keep the focus on the end goal and push forward despite ups and downs in donations and endowment returns.
A well-thought-out vision can help you drive toward your goals and answer the question, “why am I doing this.” Whether written down or as a colorful picture in your mind, it drives your grit and decisions on where to focus next.
Refocus
The change in economic conditions also impacted my work at Univention. My past articles focused on employee satisfaction and cybersecurity aspects of identity management. Recently they shifted towards cost savings, efficiency, and making the most out of the resources at hand. While plowing through with the same content would have been easier, the change in the overall economy mandated a refocus. Yet, no one should treat that as a failure. I am still better off having tried the initial area.
The training for the 5k had similar learning experiences. My initial plan focused on getting through the race. Yet, after the first week, it was apparent that it was far too easy. Thus, I changed to the goal of finishing within 30 minutes. Unfortunately, that quickly proved too ambitious. Therefore, I settled on a plan aiming at 37.5 minutes.
You could interpret it as a failure that my first goal was far too easy and the second too hard. Yet, it was a necessary refocus, and allowing me to adjust the trajectory helped me reach the vision far better. Discovering the error early gave me enough time to adapt and keep the momentum toward the overall target.
Celebration & Action
With every goal reached, it is time to celebrate the accomplishments. No matter whether big or small, like all personal victories, they remind me that I can get a goal and build a basis for the next step.
It is also a time to thank everyone who supported me in these accomplishments. It would not have been possible without the different people and organizations who believe in me.
It is likewise the time to set the next goal and prepare for what is to come, whether in Sport, Life, IT, or the Boardroom.