Leadership Is an Endurance Sport

I saw a motivational sign on LinkedIn the other day. It said, “Don’t run. You prayed for this.”

That works… except when you’re actually running a race. Then you probably should keep running.

Last weekend, I ran the Baltimore half marathon. There were plenty of funny and motivational signs along the course. Things like “Worst Parade Ever” and “You paid to do this?”. Some of my friends even held signs at mile 3 with a few “Joe” themed puns. 

I’ve run the Baltimore full and half marathons a few times and it’s never a pleasant experience for me. The hills always kick my butt, even when I feel prepared. Around mile 7 I started to feel it. The soreness, the fatigue, the little voice telling me to ease up. That feeling continued to build and each step felt heavier and heavier. A small hill at mile 11 almost caused me to stop. Luckily, I’m glad I didn’t see the “Don’t run” sign then… because at that point, I might’ve listened.

During this race, I reminded myself what I’ve learned from both running and leadership: mental toughness matters most when momentum fades and the moment feels too great to handle.

In leadership, projects stall. Teams lose steam. Motivation dips. The challenges pile up. That’s where endurance shows up, not as raw effort, but as the ability to stay grounded when things get hard.

The best leaders I’ve seen don’t sprint through the easy parts. They don’t stop when the going gets tough. They pace themselves throughout. They remind their teams why they started, celebrate progress, and keep everyone moving forward. They appreciate the easy downhills and mentally prepare for the slow, grueling uphills. One step, one decision, one conversation at a time.

That small shift — from “Can I finish without walking?” to “Just one more step” — made all the difference this year. I crossed the finish line with a new personal best.

So if you’re facing your own “mile 11” this week — when energy dips, progress slows, or doubt creeps in, remember: You prayed for this. You’re built for this. Just keep running.

And when you can’t find motivation, find motion. Take one small step, even when it’s hard, and let momentum do the rest.