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In the 2025 marathon season, elite runners like weren’t just fast — they were efficient. Many clocked cadences over 180 steps per minute, the gold standard for optimal running form. That consistency isn’t just about raw speed — it’s about running smarter, reducing wasted motion, and sustaining peak performance across 26.2 miles.
That got me thinking about my own journey — especially after completing my first half marathon and now looking ahead to the full. At first glance, it might seem simple: just add more miles. But progress isn’t linear. It’s not even always fast. Sometimes, it starts by slowing down.
Since I began running 2.5 years ago, I’ve tracked more than just pace and distance. My watch captures deeper metrics — cadence (steps per minute), vertical oscillation (how much I bounce up and down), ground contact time (how long my foot stays on the ground), and running power (my energy output).
But for a long time, I didn’t do anything with that data. That changed when I realized these weren’t just metrics—they were insights. Indicators of how efficient — or inefficient — I was, and where small changes might yield big gains.
Take cadence. I hovered around 152 on what are called easy runs. Not a crisis, but a clue. Lower cadence often means longer strides and more bounce — energy spent going up instead of forward.
Similarly, too much ground contact time signals drag — just like a stalled workflow in business. So I experimented. I adopted a Kaizen mindset — making micro-adjustments: shorter stride, better posture, arm swing. But the real shift came from running with a metronome. Set at 80 BPM, it synced with my left foot and brought me from 150 to 160 SPM in one run. My form smoothed out. I wasn’t pushing harder — I was moving smarter. But I also noticed something else. I was running too fast. I had to intentionally slow down, even while improving my form.
And that’s the paradox: To get faster, I had to slow down. To move forward, I had to become more intentional. To grow, I had to stop sprinting.
The Post-it That Changed My Pacing
On the corner of my computer monitor, there’s a Post-it note that’s been there for years. Written in thick Sharpie, in all caps, it reads: SLOW DOWN! That’s it. Simple. But incredibly powerful. I put it there to remind myself—not just during chaotic weeks or deadline pressure, but every single day—that when I rush, I make mistakes. Not always big ones. But rushing through projects, checklists, conversations, or transitions almost always means missing something small that matters. And it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve done a task. The moment I start rushing, my mind starts skipping. I might forget one checkbox. One dependency. One tiny thing that turns into a big thing.
This doesn’t just apply in business. If I rush out the door to an important meeting, I might forget the presentation. If I rush out of the house for a personal event, I might leave behind something I intended to return. And when you’re rushing, you rarely notice what you missed—until it’s too late.
But this note doesn’t tell me to slow down for the sake of slowing down. It’s a reminder to be intentional. To operate with awareness. To bring mindfulness to my pace, my choices, my preparation. That Post-it is the work-world version of the same mindset I bring to running. I used to skip over my cadence and VO metrics, thinking I didn’t need them. But the moment I slowed down, paid attention, and trained with intention, my running became smoother. Stronger. More aligned with my goal: not just to finish a marathon, but to finish strong and healthy.
The same goes for leading people. Whether you’re an executive or an individual contributor, the small things matter. Those checklist items are there for a reason. That feedback loop exists for a reason. That pause to reflect isn’t wasted time—it’s required time. When we rush, we forget what matters. And whether that results in a running injury or a lost client, the lesson is the same:
Slow down. Be mindful. Be intentional. That’s how you get faster.
It’s not about stifling innovation or grinding less. It’s about modulating. Recalibrating. Leading with precision. So yes—this is about running. But it’s also about leadership. That Post-it is more than a mantra for me. It’s a mantra for my team. Because when we build that mindset into how we work, we don’t just hit KPIs—we hit them with clarity, control, and confidence.
Leadership Lab Takeaways
Here are five questions leaders should be asking regularly:
What’s your cadence?
Just like runners track steps per minute, assess the rhythm of your team. Are you sprinting through everything? Is there space to recover, reflect, and refocus?
Where are you leaking energy?
In running, bounce and ground contact reveal inefficiencies. In business, it’s missed handoffs, duplicated work, or misaligned initiatives. Audit your form.
Are you training in the right zone?
Not everything needs to be a sprint. Zone 2 work — deep thinking, strategy sessions, team development—builds sustainable capacity. Make room for it.
When was your last recalibration?
Just like runners adjust based on performance data, leaders need regular checkpoints. What did you learn this quarter? What needs to shift?
Are you focused on form — or force?
Hustle culture celebrates effort. But real leadership is about alignment, clarity, and execution. Form beats force —e very time.
Final Thought
Just like I remind myself on the road, we as leaders need to remember:
We’re stronger than we think. And we can do hard things.
But doing hard things well requires pacing, systems, reflection — and the willingness to pause. Not out of weakness, but out of wisdom. Because sometimes, the fastest way forward… is to slow down.
