Why Hiring Runners to Leadership Positions Pays Off in the Long Run

Runners make decisions mile to mile, which is what your best leaders do.

As a business person constantly looking for talented salespeople, I’ve concluded that maybe the first question I should ask people is, “are you a runner?”

Leadership is all about making decisions, trusting your decision, sticking to that decisions, and then carrying those decisions to fruition.

Leadership entails being able to motivate others around you not just to help plans succeed but be engaged and willing participants.

I’ve read countless books on leadership throughout my lifetime, but until I began endurance running, all those words were just words on a page.

Endurance running forces one to make these decisions on the fly and not to look back at all the “what ifs?” Leaders who can make decisions are leaders worthy of employee loyalty and substantial morale boosters.

That may be one of the biggest reasons to hire a runner for a leadership position, but it is not the only one.

Spotting Leadership Characteristics in An Employee

A 2020 Forbes article describes the characteristics to look for in an employee. Identifying Leadership Potential in Employees: Eight Critical Traits outlines these signs that one should be looking for in a potential leader.

As a businessperson, I believe every employee I hire should be considered a potential leader. I do not want warm bodies around at my beck and call. Every person I hire could potentially end up as the owner of this business. Not hiring this way does a disservice to the people you are hiring and won’t propel your business forward.

The eight critical traits identified in this article are independent development, responsibility, bringing solutions, keeping cool in tough situations, active listening, initiative, introspection, and going beyond what is expected.

All of these characteristics or traits are found in the runners that I know, so I’m going to have fun describing these characteristics from a runner’s perspective.

Leadership Traits As Seen in a Runner

Independent development is something that you see in nearly all runners. Most runners get up early, stretch and go for a run before most people have rolled over and snoozed the alarm clock for the second time.

Runners don’t need to be told to go for a run.

Most runners, surprisingly, aren’t running simply for physical fitness. Most runners go for routine runs because they know it resets them mentally and spiritually.

This reset allows them to take the second trait and make it always happen. In today’s culture, it is so easy to blame somebody else for what doesn’t happen or what goes wrong. Runners take responsibility for poor outings and resolve to do better the next time.

That naturally sets runners up to be problem solvers, not problem makers. Runners find solutions, and they bring those solutions to the table every day, every run, and every recovery period. Runners not only bring solutions for themselves but jump on any social media platform with runners, and you’ll see them sharing solutions to foot challenges, gut problems, and the gamut of solutions that need to be resolved to keep running injury free.

Have you ever seen an ultra-runner at mile 30 of a 50-mile race? They most likely are struggling to hold food down, their feet and legs are aching, and they may look like death warmed over. Do you know what else you’ll see? They’re not freaking out! Runners keep their cool and problem-solving even when plans A, B, and C have flown out the door, and it’s time to wing it.

One of the neatest things to experience when you’re around other runners is their ability to listen actively while running. Active listening is a skill that has gone the way of the dinosaur. Everybody wants to be heard, so very few people are willing to listen. Go for a group run, and watch the people listening to others. Those are your leaders.

One of the definitions of “initiative” is “the ability to assess and initiate things independently.” Oxford Dictionary. Runners don’t require somebody else to devise ways to make things work for themselves. They assess the challenge and initiate solutions without waiting for somebody to give them the go-ahead.

Introspection is all about self-analysis. If you constantly need feedback from somebody else, you’ll struggle as a leader. Runners constantly analyze how they can improve and don’t accept dumb excuses. If you cannot do self-examinations, you most likely will not be able to teach and mentor either.

Finally, runners are the most likely to go beyond what is expected. Runners don’t stick to what is expected of them and their abilities. They go beyond what others expect and do it without bragging about it. Runners don’t just download a training plan and expect that will get them to the finish line of a marathon or ultra-marathon. They go beyond the training plan and add strength and agility routines to their running.

Hire Runners If You’re Looking to Build Your Business

I’m not saying to be blunt when conducting interviews and just come right out and ask, “are you a runner?” However, I’m not telling you not to ask that question.

As we rebuild businesses after what the pandemic and politics have wrought on businesses, it is going to take a different approach to business to survive and thrive.

That means old norms when looking for talented people to build your business with you are off the table.

It also means that a lot of runners may be the best candidate you could possibly hire and mentor to be the next leader of your business.