Running has never been my strong suit. I'm a big guy, and
let's just say aerodynamics weren't a priority when God designed me.
That doesn't stop my wife, Stacy, from signing us up for
5Ks. She somehow believes that if she keeps entering me in races, I'll
eventually become a runner. Meanwhile, I'm just trying to keep up with her and
wondering how I managed to get suckered into another one.
Apparently, the ability to run like a gazelle skipped me
entirely and landed on my niece. She's a college athlete competing in both
track and soccer. Next week, I'll be traveling to Tennessee for business and
will have the opportunity to watch her play.
Okay, enough of the proud uncle soapbox. I promise there's a
business lesson in here somewhere.
Recently, I came across an analogy about a lion chasing a
deer. The lion runs because it's hungry. The deer runs because its life depends
on it.
The lesson? Purpose is more powerful than need.
It made me think about how businesses are approaching
artificial intelligence.
Right now, companies are racing to adopt AI because they're
afraid of falling behind. They're buying tools, automating tasks, and trying to
keep pace with competitors.
But running faster doesn't mean much if you don't know where
you're going.
AI presents an opportunity to rethink how we operate
businesses. Imagine freeing employees from repetitive tasks so they can focus
on relationships, creativity, and solving meaningful problems.
As a business owner, that's what excites me. Not replacing
people, but empowering them to accomplish more.
AI can help us move faster, but it can't tell us why we're
running. That's leadership's responsibility.
And maybe that's the lesson from those 5Ks with Stacy.
I'm certainly not the fastest guy on the course. But I'm not
running to win a medal. I'm running because spending time with my wife matters
more than my finishing time.
In business, as in
life, knowing why you're running matters more than how fast you get there.
