Getting connected through running

This weekend I find myself looking at two runs in quick succession, which perhaps doesn’t say much for my planning skills.  

The first is a 10k Cirrus team run in the Peak District, BackBefore Dark, which involves some hills and head torches, but will hopefully conclude with a beer in the evening. The second is the Macclesfield Half Marathon, which Cirrus is sponsoring, so I felt I ought to take part.  It is also hilly, I am told, which may mean that my time is not exactly a personal best.  But it will be great to be running around the town where I live. 

The first run is about being connected to colleagues and the second is about being connected with our local community.  Both via the medium of running, which normally involves sweat, occasional tears and blood only when I fall over! It will be great to be out there with lots of other people doing the same thing, going through our individual challenges (mostly mental, but also physical) and having a laugh together. 

Here’s the link to leadership. Running is a bit like leadership in that it's a very solitary activity a lot of the time and yet it's really about people getting together with a shared challenge (as well as being a great way to raise money). I remember when we set up the 505050 Challenge when I turned 50 (believe it or not) and I was overwhelmed by the response of so many people who took part, either individually or in teams, to raise money for The Christie and East Cheshire Hospice.  It was an amazing show of unity and raised way over its fundraising target.  It was also a great demonstration of shared leadership, with people stepping forward, taking responsibility, and making what for many were significant personal sacrifices to deliver the event.  It was both awesome and humbling, and demonstrated the collective power of people with a shared purpose to make a difference. 

So I look forward to running with colleagues and neighbours this weekend, safe in the knowledge that the shared experience will bring us closer together. Connected through running. 

Moderation rocks

Moderation rocks. In my mind I hear these two words to the tune of ‘revolution Rock’ by The Clash.

More and more I think we need to rise up as moderates, and to campaign for unity and tolerance in the face of polarisation from various sides.  

The dangers of polarisation include a split society, divided homes and communities, and extremists bombing our cities - radicalised people intent on destruction.  We can choose whether we want to watch our society become more divided, with closed groups alienated from each other, or more connected, exploring possibilities and what we have in common.  Surely neither our religion nor the pigment in our skin is sufficient reason to hate others?

If we think about what polarisation means in practice it is a salutary experience.  It implies a win/lose approach to life, a belief in dogma over understanding, the certainty of knowing one is right over appreciating that different views can all hold wisdom.   Some use religion as fuel for righteous indignation of certainty rather than seeking a harmony of difference; ultimately this can lead to selection, bigotry and even wars.  I’m blessed, you’re damned. Centuries ago the Christian crusades epitomised this trend, nowadays extremist attacks demonstrate that the righteous arrogance of certainty can overflow into violence. 

In politics, polarisation tends to create extremism, ideology and seeking control, as we have seen in recent British politics as well as many right wing groups across Europe.  It seems to have become unfashionable to seek a moderate  balance between social care and the economic benefits of responsible capitalism.  However, such political pragmatism can enable people to achieve great things with their lives, to achieve their dreams. 

We need to become advocates for moderation, for a connected world in which social policy is based on fairness and equality, and an intolerance of the polarisation that threatens to overrun our hard fought for traditions of liberal opportunity for all. We need to stand up for a connected world in which we are free to express our views, free to exchange views, and free to influence and be influenced.  We are faced by increasingly aggressive forces of polarisation. If we remain quiet we may end up regretting our reticence.

What do you think? Please tweet @simonjhayward with the hashtag #moderationrocks and let me know.