"Not to decide is to decide"

Last week, we had a chaplain brief us on ethical decision making. He began with an exercise in which he divided the class into three groups. For the exercise, each group was on a raft that would sink unless one person were eliminated from the raft. One person on the raft was gravely injured, and no one could volunteer to leave the raft. The raft was floating in cold waters with no land in sight. Our task was to decide who would leave the raft.

Everyone felt uncomfortable with the task--no one wanted to throw a buddy overboard. There was a lot of discussion regarding this. Some people said they couldn't throw a person overboard. The chaplain told us that some classes have groups who say they will all go down together.

But, as Harvy Cox said, "not to decide is to decide." The decision not to throw one person overboard, thereby saving everyone else in the raft, is really the decision to throw everyone in the raft overboard. Everyone will die. There isn't a winning solution, but there is a best decision.

Sometimes leadership is difficult--often leadership is difficult. Our exercise was extreme, but the intent was to get us to think. In the corporate world, deciding whom to lay off during hard economic times isn't easy either, but most managers won't say "let's all go down together." Deciding whom to lay off isn't an easy decision. But the more there is to lose, the harder it is to make the decision.

Are you up to the task? If you are in a situation where no solution is a clear "win," can you make the best decision?

Life is all about how you handle plan B . . .

"Plan A is always my first choice . . . you know, the one where everything works out to be happily ever-after. But more often than not, I find myself dealing with the upside-down, inside-out version where nothing goes as it should. Do I sink or do I swim? . . . The choice is all mine. It's at this point that the true test of my character comes in. Life really is all about how you handle plan B." [From a fun T-shirt that I own.]

Plan B

People make too big of a deal over plan B. Seriously! Plans should be flexible . . . what is most important is the mission! A change in plans isn't a change in mission--plan B is merely a different avenue of approach.

One thing that I always try to keep in mind is that my plan A may not be what is best for me. It may accomplish the mission, but at what cost?

I have a strategic plan for my life and my career--yes, it's true (I am THAT anal). And yes, I weigh every decision according to this plan. Yet at the same time, I realize that I may not have all of the information, and my original plan may not be the best plan to accomplish the mission . . .

Do I sink or do I swim?

That is a silly question--of course I swim! I look at life this way: if we create a plan or a map for our lives and everything goes precisely according to the plan, how boring would that be? Where are the challenges in that?

I love the twists and turns in life--they usually bring heightened success!


Dialing it in

What am I talking about here? One example could be my own change from the Army's MI branch to Finance. Attending Finance BOLC and becoming a Finance Officer was my plan B. I won't share all of the details of my personal strategic plan, but the goal in that segment of my plan had already been met, so the change wasn't truly significant. However, initially choosing MI was important to my end-state. My background is actually in finance, so this change made sense . . . but MI still holds my interest!

My point is that it's important to not only have a plan, but to fully understand the steps in the plan and the desired end-state . . . otherwise you may get so caught up in the details that you lose sight of the end-state which is the ultimate goal!

I run to be . . .

Nike wants us to finish the sentence "I run to be . . ."  This is a hard one for me because I run for so many reasons . . .

I have never been inactive, but I wasn't a "runner" until early 2008. Before then, I was more into dance--jazz, tap, ballet, Middle Eastern . . . I was also on a drill team when I was a child. Does anyone remember the Coho Princesses? We won a few trophies back in the day . . .

Anyhow, in early 2008, I decided to submit an application for a direct commission with the Army Reserve. I knew then that I would have to pass the Army's APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test). I knew the  requirements, and I was concerned about the run.

At the time, my main cardio activity was tennis--so fun! But I hadn't been running. I immediately began running intervals. I found a program endorsed by Runner's World that was created to prepare people for a 5K. It is a great program based on timing.

This program was enough to help me pass the APFT at my age group, but to be a leader in the Army, more is required. Leadership is more than a rank handed down by a higher authority--it is an acceptance by the people you lead--passing the APFT really isn't enough.

I knew that I needed to do more, so I continued to train. Training is hard when you are training by yourself. When I moved to the Sacramento area, I continued to train on my own, but I knew it wasn't enough. Then I remembered Team-in-Training.

I first learned about Team-in-Training when I participated in the Big Climb in Seattle in 2008. I was interested, but the timing wasn't right because I had surgery that same year. However, the timing was right when I moved to the Sacramento area.

I joined the team at an event in Folsom, CA in April 2010, and I'm so thankful that I did. I have heard so many heart warming stories, met so many incredible, encouraging people . . . I am truly thankful.

Since April 2010, I have been training with TNT for the Nike Half-Marathon on October 17. I'm so excited . . . I can't wait! It won't be easy, but I've been training for this, and I've already run in one half-marathon in preparation--but without the San Francisco hills! I know I can do it though.

So back to the Nike request . . . finishing the sentence "I run to be . . ."

I run to be:

• healthy
• active
• an advocate to find a cure for the many different kinds of cancer
• STRONG (Army STRONG!)
• an example (for my daughter and for my son, for other women, for Soldiers everywhere--we can make a difference!)
• a leader (how can I ask others to do something I cannot do?)

I run for so many other reasons. Running makes me feel wonderful after the most stressful day. Running makes me feel alive--even when it hurts. Running keeps me young.

At one time, I thought I wasn't a runner, but I am.

So, when Nike asks me to finish the sentence "I run to be . . .," how do I answer? I run to be the person I want to be. I run to be the best me possible.

I run to be . . . me.

So I have to offer some advice . . . Run . . . Run to be . . . Run to be . . . YOU. Be the best you that you can be.

I don't want this to end

We had our pre-race meeting tonight. Our coaches and mentors gave us great information, and we finally received the coveted purple singlet. As I sat there listening to the information, I was thinking . . . this is almost over . . . and I don't want it to end. Nike is in a week and a half . . .  

 . . . but I really don't want this to end.



I've met such wonderful people and made great friends. I feel stronger as a person, and I feel great about what I'm doing--I love helping others; I need to have a purpose.  

I don't want this to end.

I talked to my mentor tonight about becoming a mentor. I'm looking forward to the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco, but I'm not ready for this to end.  

I'm not going to let it end.

Running for a Cure

Work . . . Relax

Last night, I walked through my door at ~8 PM, rested for a moment on my bed, and fell (deeply and soundly) asleep. Right away. No thinking about checking email, reading a book, calling anyone . . . Once I was off of my feet, I was asleep--slam dunk.

Of course, I woke up at ~12:30 AM and realized that I left my phone in my car . . . I didn't plan to walk in the door and fall asleep! So, in the middle of the night, I was wandering out to my car to retrieve my phone (which is also my alarm clock). Yes, I was at work on time (seriously? did you think I would be late?)!

Eating right isn't always easy to do (especially when there isn't time to eat), but it is doable. Taking care of myself in other ways is doable as well, but getting enough rest can be a challenge for me. A huge challenge--so I guess I needed the sleep!

Tonight, like every other Wednesday, was a scheduled team workout night. However, I was invited by some friends (whom I don't see often enough) to join them for dinner. I opted to cancel my workout plans so I could see my friends (priorities, people!). As it turned out, the workout was canceled due to the heat--100+ degrees (and it's almost October!). Yay--I made the right decision!

Life is more than scheduled workouts, project plans, and meeting deadlines . . . Sometimes I beat myself up to meet a deadline only to find that it's been moved because others can't meet it (usually for good reason . . . like the workout that was canceled due to the heat--the heat is a health risk).

Like everyone else, I want to shine. But I'm human. I can't be everywhere at once. I don't know everything. I am not superhuman. If you want excellence, I can give you that. If you want perfect, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Follow me: what makes a good leader?

"You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed." Concepts of Leadership

A successful leader is determined by the people following. That being said, who do people want to follow? In the Army, if you can't run, people don't want to follow. To some, that may not make sense. After all, becoming a successful runner requires discipline and good physical condition, but it doesn't require other characteristics normally associated with leadership (ethics and integrity, for example). Some people are naturally good runners and don't necessarily have discipline. But that doesn't negate the fact that being a good runner is a requirement to being an effective leader in the Army. An NCO at Ft. Benning told me that it doesn't matter how many sit-ups and push-ups I can do, it's the run that matters--a good leader is also a good runner. And logical or not, if the follower determines the success of the leader, a good leader should make every effort to be a good runner.

Leadership is influencing people—by providing purpose, direction, and motivation—while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization. FM 22-100

Clearly, leadership involves more than running, but running affects motivation and cannot be ignored. I'm not a naturally good runner. I had to work hard just to pass the running portion of the APFT. However, if being a good runner is necessary to being an effective leader, I'll do whatever it takes to become one.

What do you think?