The Race Is To The Starting Line

Culpeper Star Exponent

Business Monday

October 14, 2013

Jim Charapich

As an Indoor Cycling Instructor, I was warming up at the beginning of class recently. There is always a happy chatter about races and competition that class associates are planning or have completed. I joke with the class that the morning class is one of the elite of the exercise classes because of their commitment to rise early and make fitness a priority. There are often phrases or thoughts traded that I treasure and share when appropriate. They happen almost passively sometimes and yet they can be powerful in their meaning.

The phrase that caught my attention recently was “The race is to the starting line”. As a competitive athlete, I found this to be profound. The race is just execution of the training and discipline that get you to the starting line. The real work is getting to the starting line. When the gun goes off and the race begins, the pre-race preparation takes over and the fun begins.

In business, we sometimes know where the race begins. However, we are sometimes placed in a moment when preparation and training need to be in place to move your company forward with little notice. This could be in closing a sale, navigating customer service, or knowing how to get things done for a project. “The race is to the starting line” is really about being prepared for the environment with the tools to succeed.

The Culpeper Chamber is accepting applications for the Class of 2014 Lead Culpeper. The program is about developing the social capital to get things done. There are no other programs like this for emerging local leaders to develop relationships across business, education, and government sectors. Within any of these sectors, it is easy to see the world from the silo of your industry. The Lead Culpeper program helps to break down barriers and facilitate relationships that become valuable in advancing through obstacles.

We have elevated the program building one year on another since the 1990’s with many of the past graduates serving leadership roles today in Industry and Government. The program begins in April 2014 with Commencement in January 2015. Details of the agenda and commitment are on the Chamber website at www.CulpeperChamber.com.

The Lead Culpeper program helps to prepare you for the moments that require leadership. There is no easy way to get to the starting line prepared. It takes time and commitment. The price for being unprepared can be significant. The Lead Culpeper program offers a pathway to understanding many of the networks and relationships useful for advancing in the race for success. Now is the time to budget for the program in 2014. There are 20 spaces available. Apply today.