Yell, Hi, Art!
On Sunday, November 1, over 42,000 registered runners in the New York City Marathon sped, ran, walked, or limped through the streets of the five boroughs. As the premium runners raced their way through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan, the majority of runners ran at a slower pace.
Runners nearing the finish line
As in years past, I like to watch the runners as they near the finish line, specifically those who take four or more hours to finish the 26.2 mile course—a course the leaders had run in just over two hours.
This year, I found a place behind a barricade just past the 26 mile sign in Central Park. That vantage point gave me the opportunity to slap hands with runners zooming with enthusiasm that they were close to reaching their goal or dragging with focused determination that they would reach the finish line even if they had to crawl.
Many of those going past had their names on their t-shirts, a way to tell the total crowd of over a million cheerleaders along the route that they wanted a shout out of, “Hi, Amy (or Frances or Tim or…). Keep going. You’re doing great.”
One man was more direct with not just his want for a shout out but a need to be encouraged. On this man’s shirt was a directive, “Yell, Hi, Art!”
Of course, I, as did others around me, did yell, “Hi, Art!”
My working to be a leader lesson from Art: identify what you need from others then make it clear how they can fill that need for you.