How do you condition yourself so you’re not found wanting when the pressure increases?

In my early 20s, I ran the London Marathon without really knowing how to train properly.

I finished in just over 4 hours.

Two weeks later, I ran a half marathon in 1 hour 34 minutes, still not really understanding recovery or structured training.

I was relying on effort.

Then I joined a running club.

That’s when things changed.

– Two structured sessions a week.
– Long runs at the weekend.
– Faster runners setting the pace.

I tried to stay with the fast group.

It was uncomfortable.

They’d wait every few miles, give me some friendly banter… then push on again.

Every week it stretched me.

But every week I improved.

I was conditioning myself to operate at a higher level.

The same thing happens in manufacturing.
Early in your career – technician, engineer, team leader – effort gets you a long way.

You work hard.
You solve problems.
You firefight.
You deliver.

But stepping into senior operations leadership?

That’s a different pace.

Now it’s:
– Leading through KPIs, not just tasks
– Thinking capacity, flow and margin, not just today’s output
– Managing risk, not just reacting to issues
– Holding the line when pressure hits

And here’s the key…

You can’t expect to perform at that level if you’ve never trained at that level.

That might mean:
– Sitting in on meetings above your pay grade
– Taking ownership of cross-functional projects
– Asking to present performance data to senior leaders
– Surrounding yourself with people who think more strategically than you

It will feel uncomfortable.

It should.

You don’t rise to the level of your ambition in manufacturing.

You rise to the level of your conditioning.

So let me ask you:

Are you still running with the comfort group?

Or are you deliberately training with the fast group?

What’s stopping you from stepping up?

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