I’ve struggled with running for years. I’d push through 5ks, only to crash hard afterward, wiped out, knees spent, quitting for months. It felt like winning and failing, again and again.
Then a physiotherapist/running coach helped me shift to playing the long game: strength training, recovery, smart pacing, and patience.
Funny how often I’ve had to relearn this simple lesson, in running, ops leadership, coaching, even this podcast. Growth happens through steady effort, resilience, and sticking with it even when the results aren’t obvious.
In this 100th episode of Your Future Realized, I’m reflecting on 100 weeks of podcasting inspired by coaching ops leaders and steady hands like you. I’ll share what it really feels like behind the coaching conversations. No sugarcoating, just practical insights for your daily grind.
Learning to Play the Long Game: From Running to Leadership
I see you. The juggle between process and people, speed and strategy, data and emotions. It’s not easy.
Here’s what I’ve learned through this journey of 100 episodes as I’m coaching operations leaders: real leadership is never a fast win. It’s a steady, long game. It means showing up consistently, even when results are not immediate or obvious.
I come from business operations myself—years of building departments, systems and efficiency. But after 15 years of that, I realized I just wasn’t craving KPI success. What pulled me out of bed in the morning was deeper connection, real growth, and finding laughter in hard moments.
Sometimes I leaned heavily on my ops skills because that’s what I was expected to do—hit targets that, honestly, were not realistic with the resources I had. That feeling of wondering, ‘Am I really enough?’ is something that I know well. What changed everything was finding the courage to lean into vulnerability instead of pushing it away.
That shift has shaped me deeply—as a leader, coach, and in how I show up in this podcast. To me, playing the long game means being okay with figuring things out as we go and just sticking with it anyway.
Leadership Lessons From 100 Episodes
What does playing the long game really mean for you, as an ops leader? Here are three practical takeaways:
- Consistency Builds Credibility: It’s the little, disciplined choices—checking in with your team, making time for strategy, speaking your truth—that stack up to real change. Don’t underestimate your steady efforts even when they’re small.
- Balance Accountability with Empathy: Holding teams accountable doesn’t mean being distant or cold. It means having honest conversations that build trust and help your team perform better. Your presence creates that space.
- Own Your Voice and Vision: It’s tempting to get caught up in urgent fire drills and endless meetings. But carving out space to lead thoughtfully, for the sake of clarity and authenticity sets you and what you do apart in the long haul.
Now, there’s no magic formula. But I do know this: Progress is non-linear, often slow, and sometimes invisible. That’s where resilience and presence come in. It makes the most sense to lean into how uncomfortable and complex growth can be, and to invest in your own well-being so you have the resources to keep going.
A client once said, ‘Sometimes, I’m just holding the space until the next change arrives.’ I think that that’s true leadership—being present for yourself and others, even when the path ahead isn’t clear.
Real Leadership is a Long Game
So, 100 episodes in, I just want to say. Thank you for being alongside me at this milestone. I’m grateful for the trust you put in me, sharing your stories, challenges, and hopes. Every conversation teaches me something new, too. It opens my perspective and nudges me to grow right there with you.
Sometimes people wonder if they’re just repeating themselves. But growth isn’t a one-and-done deal. There’s always a new layer of the onion, another lesson. The moments that light me up the most aren’t the big flashy wins – though those are great too – they’re the everyday ones I get to witness: when someone gains a bit more confidence in a tough call, or decides to brush themselves off and try again after a bumpy patch, or when a team finding a new groove together. Those moments may not make the spotlight, but to me, they’re pure treasure.
Your Leadership Reflection for the Week
Here’s your question for today: What’s one leadership lesson or shift you’ve experienced from the last year that would surprise your past self? How can you carry it forward—with purpose, patience, and a little grace? I’d love to hear what comes up. Drop me a line!
So here’s to the next 100 episodes, continuing to learn from each other and celebrating every small win along the way.
You can’t stop the chaos, but you can change the game.