I recently decided to train for a 50K trail race in Wisconsin in the Fall. Since I ran a marathon in 2010, I have tried to run 100 miles a month to maintain my fitness. I don’t run a lot of races, but the goal of 100 miles a month has kept me motivated. I don’t consider myself a runner, probably because I didn’t start running until I was thirty-seven. In high-school I walked the required one-mile in physical education each week.

I often post my success or failure of my 100 mile a month goal on Facebook. I don’t know that anyone really cares, but I do have some running friends that seem to enjoy hearing my updates. I have had others say my monthly goals help them stay motivated to set their own goals. Then there are a group of people that think I’m crazy for running 100 miles each month. Probably the majority of my friends and acquaintances think I’m crazy. You can imagine the reception I got when I announced that I was training to run just over 31 miles.

I told my sister that I had signed up, and that I was concerned people would think I’m crazy. Her advice? “You are crazy. Let your freak flag fly.” I started telling people in conversation, and the word crazy continued to come up. My dad, thinking about data that shows the risk of cardiac death during a marathon, asked what sort of medical support would be available on the course. Not much, it’s on a trail in the woods of Wisconsin. Grimace. My mom is using the “Wow” reaction on Facebook (the one that reminds you of Munch’s The Scream) to a lot of my posts.

My 11 year old daughter joined me as I was watching the movie Ultramarathon Man about Dean Karnazes, one of the most widely recognized ultra marathon runners. I said to her “This guy Dean ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, and he’s going to be at this run I signed up for in September.” She asked me about the run, and I said “It’s the longest distance I will have ever run.”

Her response shocked me. She said “Good job, dad.” Nobody had said “good job” to me about my choosing to train for this run. And it felt great.

You have the power to be positive as a technical leader. You don’t need any special talent or gift. You can encourage and support someone. Maybe you believe the person is attempting something out of reach. What harm comes from giving encouragement?

The power of positivity is incredible. Maybe you sit in a position of being able to help someone with advice, connections, mentorship. I have always believed there is great fulfillment in giving help without expectation of return. Don’t overlook the help you can provide simply by being positive. The simple act of saying “good job” or “keep it up” is an incredible gift.