Race to The Top: Valuable Leadership Skills You Develop as a Runner

Those who participate in sports can learn many skills that they can use to become better leaders and more fulfilled human beings in general. Runners can develop some special skills training for foot races that they can carry over to daily life.

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• Preparation is key - One can’t simply decide to run a marathon and race the next day. Barring the comic superhero, The Flash, no one can run 26.219 miles or more without the proper physical and mental training, the right gear, and a prepared support team. The same is true for starting on an endeavor. Leaders cannot come up with an idea and then expect it to be perfect and precise immediately. Everything requires preparation, research, and the right minds and hands to execute the plan.

• Demeanor matters - Much like how athletes need to develop the proper form for maximum performance, leadership also has an ideal structure. That is, according to this Economist blog, to be seen as a leader and be an effective one too, a person has to project the look and sound of someone solid, reliable, powerful, and knowledgeable. This means anything from being eloquent, well-dressed, and poised.
• Having clear goals helps - Goal-setting is an integral part of running a marathon. This undertaking is by no means easy, and can take up a lot of time. However, it doesn’t have to be an impossible quest with the right motivation and dedication. Leadership also requires a clear vision and objective, and the ability to motivate one’s team to work for the common goal.
• Quick-thinking creates race winners and leaders - Admittedly, even with enough preparation, extraneous factors like injuries, getting lost, or inclement weather can threaten to slow runners down. Thinking clearly under duress can help a runner make the right call for any situation – whether it means powering on or choosing to go to the hospital. The same is true for a leader. Sometimes one may find solutions for problems, and sometimes it’s time to face the music and pivot. What makes one a true leader is the ability to assess the situation and make clear-headed decisions. 

Without a doubt running, as well as many other sports, can expose people to useful insights and learning experiences that can turn them into effective and efficient leaders.

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A Natural Stride: Trying Out Barefoot Running

For years, people have been buying expensive pairs of shoes to help them run without getting injured. But do we really need foam and cushion to protect our joints from injuries? 

Recent studies show that barefoot running is the best way to get fit. Traditional people have been running barefoot, an activity which is believed to strengthen the feet in a more natural way.

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Studies say that running with motion-controlled and well-cushioned shoes is like having your neck in a cast for a long time. When the cast is taken off, your neck will be weak. The same thing applies to running shoes. When you pound and bounce the balls of your feet harder into the cushions of your running shoes, it will cause problems in your feet, knees, and other joints. 

It’s not bad to give barefoot running a try. One will have to spend a long time getting used to having soil on their feet while running. Your feet may also feel weak when you start running barefoot. It may even take you weeks before you master a new stride.

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If you hurt your feet after a lap or two, try resting before running again. It’s best to find a relaxed foot strike that will not stress your feet and joints.

Read more articles on running when you visit this Steven Rindner blog.

45 and Still Running: Fast facts about the New York City Marathon

This year, the New York City Marathon celebrates its 45th year, a grand feat given that the very first race was held entirely in Central Park and only had 127 entrants. The 2015 race, which was held on November 1st, saw a registration of 50,229 entrants, with the participants running a 26.2 mile (42.2 km) course that covered all five boroughs of New York City. From the relatively simple event that Fred Lebow and Vince Chiappetta organized in 1970, the New York City Marathon has grown to one of the biggest (if not the biggest) running events the world today.

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Below are other interesting facts about the Big Apple’s most iconic road race:

1. For the first New York City Marathon, only 55 men finished the race, and the sole female entrant dropped out due to illness. Winners were given inexpensive wristwatches and recycled baseball and bowling trophies. The entry fee was $1, and the total event budget was $1,000. (This year’s first place finishers received $100,000, and entry cost was around $250.) 

2. Women were barred from running marathons until the Amateur Athletic Union finally lifted the ban in 1971, provided female runners started either 10 minutes before or after the men. In 1972, six female runners joined the New York City Marathon. They waited for the signal for their 10-minute head start but once the gun went off, they sat down in protest against the discriminatory policy, and begun the race with everyone else.

3. Some of the runners who joined the New York City Marathon do so to raise money for a good cause. The 2014 race helped raise a record $34.5 million for various charitable causes.

4. The 2000 race was the first year that wheelchair and handcycle racers had their own formal, competitive division following 20 years of racing as part of an exhibition event.

5. Apart from the canon blast that signals the start of the race, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” is also played over the loudspeakers.

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Rebuilding Image: When Is the Right Time to Rebrand?

Many entrepreneurs today opt to rebrand their companies, products, and services for a multitude of reasons. Some companies rebrand to change a significant element of their business while others repackage their image to communicate better a more relevant brand promise. 

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Rebranding, however, does more than changing the look or feel of a company. It also means spending a lot of effort and shelling out millions of dollars to come up with a memorable image that will represent the business perfectly. 

That said, before draining all your financial and capital resources, it is important to ask: Does your company really need to rebrand and when is the right time to do so? 

Maria Ross, business author and chief strategist for the branding and marketing consultancy firm Red Slice notes that if a business is experiencing a decrease in sales and customers, then it may be the perfect time to rebrand. 

She adds: “If you see that more of your customers are going to your competition, you have to look at your entire business and also your brand. According to Ross, companies must reassess the identity of the company and relate as to how it affects its operations. 

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Other than this, industry experts also suggest rebranding in case the business needs to attract new markets. They should also rebrand if the company is experiencing internal changes within its organization, which at most times also means a change in philosophy and function. 

Remember, rebranding does more than transforming the aesthetic and other physical values of a business. If you are planning to rebrand, always take into consideration your purpose and direction. For more tips on branding and business, follow this Steven Rindner on Google+ Page.

An uncertain destiny amid a sea of competition: Rethinking the future of television

The recent revenue dip experienced by ESPN and its resonating effect across the business of television have been a sobering experience. Much has been made of the recent highs experienced by the medium in the past years, taking on and surpassing the marks of quality once said to be the purview of cinema. But external factors that may take more than just better programming to remedy are caving in on the television industry.

Television has had a number of things going for it in the past two years. Funded by ad and syndication revenue, the business of making a television show is comparatively more cost-effective and offers better returns. This provided a much-needed buffer for producers to experiment, leading to the creation of high-caliber programs that push boundaries (and bring in ratings).

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But this status quo has been challenged by the fledgling Internet-based video-on-demand services, often owned by networks themselves, which offer a wider assortment of programs to any audience with enough bandwidth. This less regulated marketplace, often the only real source of growth for many networks , has allowed production companies to actually fund the production of even riskier web-only series.

This pressure, along with that from popular video-sharing websites like ad-buoyed YouTube, has put pay television on a tenuous position that threatens to knock it off of the stable position it had achieved only a few years back.

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This turnaround has an interesting outcome for most investors in the industry, as one of the solutions to the growing challenges of production is for networks to integrate with larger companies. Such an event is likely to boost stocks in the meantime, though it remains to be seen if consolidation can provide the backing pay TV needs to keep up its rebound.

Steven Rindner has, throughout his career in corporate development, accumulated experience and expertise in media, technology, real estate services, and healthcare business fields. Visit this blog for more updates on issues surrounding the media industry.

The Three Fundamental Roles of Every Business Manager

Working as an “ordinary” employee is already daunting; being a business manager or owner could be a lot worse. However, even in a very hectic and stressful environment such as the workplace, grace and proper demeanor must still be observed—and this is applicable to all ranks. Executives should be aware of the following tips inducing harmony and goodwill in among their teams:

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1. Solicit and make ideas. Leaders do not need to compose plans and strategies all by themselves. While they need to be innovative and creative in all decisions, they must also lend a generous ear to their subordinates’ opinions. Two heads are better than one, after all. Additionally, they must set expectations in everything they do.
2. Know people by their first names. Acknowledging people at least by their first name—even caretakers and custodians—is one of the basic steps in establishing amicable relationships with everyone in the workplace. In large organizations, of course, this is not always possible. Knowing “most” of them—or at least trying to—would suffice. Moreover, eye contact is important while communicating.
3. Provide all the tools people need. Technology and mentorship-based support are crucial to helping employees become more productive and committed to their work. While not every company has the capability to do this, at least trying to work on what is possible and within capacity is praiseworthy enough. 

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Steven Rindner is an experienced business and corporate development executive distinguished for his results-oriented leadership. To know more about him, add or follow him on Google Plus.

Living the Good Life: The Importance of Nutrition

The human body is composed of many complicated and essential processes.  Like any machine, the body needs to be maintained and treated with care.  Below is a list of the positive effects of proper nutrition:

Gives energy for life

Eating the right kind of food can give the energy people need to do their everyday tasks.  That's why many people believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because eating it provides the necessary nutrients to help one function properly the whole day.

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Boosts the immune system

Food rich in vitamins and minerals are important to maintain a healthy body.  These help keep the immune system working at its best and ultimately, protect the body from acute and chronic diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure, etc.

Delays the effects of aging

Proper nutrition aids in developing, replacing, and repairing cells and tissues, which can make one look younger.  With energy from foods rich in nutrients, one can easily feel young and fresh.

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Helps in maintaining a healthy weight

Exercise is not the only factor in achieving your dream body.  Healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand in helping you reach your weight goals.   You don't have to stop eating to lose weight; you just have to know the right kind of food to eat.


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