Some days it's all about survival

Some days it's all about survival.

That's when you need your team around you.

Mark Cavendish, arguably the greatest cycling sprinter of all time, knew this better than most. Cav was the king of the Gruppetto - those cyclists who fall behind the main peloton on mountain stages to conserve energy and finish within the time limit to avoid disqualification.

He might hold the record for the most Tour de France stage victories. But even Cav only won 35 stages across 15 Tours - that's roughly two wins per Tour, 15 glorious days out of 315 days of racing.

The rest of the time? He was just surviving to the end of the stage.

When It's Your Time to Lead

On those big sprint days, Mark led from the front. He corralled, he shouted when he needed to, but he was always emotional and connected with the team around him. He knew every nuance of his bike - could feel if the saddle had shifted a millimetre. When he was in his pomp, nothing could stop him crossing that line first.

But to get those 15 wins, he had to ride more than 46,500 kilometres. 1.2 times around the world.

As leaders we celebrate the wins - the successful project delivery, the team transformation, the strategic breakthrough. But we rarely acknowledge the kilometres that came before. The days when you're just trying to get through without getting dropped.

Knowing When the Team Isn't Right

Cav also knew when it was time to move teams when it wasn't the right place for him, when he wasn't going to get the best out of himself. He would go looking for the next great opportunity.

There's wisdom in that. Not stubbornness or disloyalty - wisdom. Understanding that sometimes the team you're in isn't set up to help you sprint. That the mountains they're asking you to climb aren't the ones you were built for.

Often that's exactly where we find ourselves in our work. We're in the wrong place, needing the support of those around us just to get to the end of the day.

The Team You're In Matters As Much As The Team You Lead

Senior leaders spend a lot of time thinking about the teams they lead, but not nearly enough thinking about the teams they're in.

Sometimes you need your domestiques around you - those teammates who shelter you from the wind, who drag you up and over those big mountains ahead of you just so you can survive the day, ready to fight when it's your time.

When you're a Director or VP, everyone's looking to you for clarity and direction. But who's looking after you? Who's sheltering you when the headwinds are brutal? Who's giving you the space to recover before your next big effort?

Those relationships matter. The peer who checks in when things are tough. The boss who actually understands what you're carrying. The mentor who's been where you are and knows the way through.

When The Balance Tips

The problem is when the balance goes the wrong way. When it feels like a slog, and you're unable to take the lead, fulfil your promise, show people what you're made of.

When every day is a survival day and there are no sprint days left.

When you're spending all your energy just getting through, with nothing left for the moments that matter.

That's when something needs to shift.

Finding Your Sprint Again

That's when I start working with leaders - sitting side by side with them, helping them work out whether they need a shift of perspective where they are, or whether it's time to find a team that lets them sprint.

Sometimes it's about reframing. About recognising that you've been trying to climb mountains when you're built to sprint. About understanding the support system that's already around you but that you haven't been using. About giving yourself permission to ride in the Gruppetto on the days that aren't yours.

Sometimes it's about recognising that you're in the wrong team entirely. That the organisation isn't set up to let you do what you do best. That you've outgrown the role or the role has outgrown you. That it's time to go looking for the next great opportunity, just like Cav did.

Both of those realisations require courage. The first asks you to let go of how you think leadership should look. The second asks you to let go of where you are entirely.

The Question Worth Asking

How are you managing your days in the Gruppetto?

Are you surrounded by teammates who shelter you, drag you up the mountains, and celebrate when it's your turn to sprint?

Or are you riding alone, wondering why every day feels like survival and the wins are getting further apart?

If you're questioning whether you're in the right team - or just need to reframe how you're riding - let's talk.

Because leadership shouldn't feel like 315 days of survival for 15 days of glory. And when the balance is right, when you're in the right team doing the work you were made for, even the hard days feel different.

You're still putting in the kilometres. But you're riding towards something, not just away from getting dropped.