BooneThink

Leaders come in all sizes and shapes. Are you a leader? If not right now, you can be. Do you want to be a leader? You can be. The ASEP leadership welcomes you and your support of the work of professional development of exercise physiology. You don’t need a doctorate degree to be a leader. Look at the ASEP Presidents. Half of them have the doctorate degree and half do not. The most recent Presidents, Steve Jungbauer, Matt Wattles, and Matt Lehn do not have the doctorate degree. Yet, it is clear they are leaders in exercise physiology. They aren’t authors of an exercise physiology text and, to my knowledge, do not publish scientific papers, yet their leadership has moved exercise physiology forward. How did they do it? They embraced the ASEP vision. They have a clear idea of what exercise physiology is all about. They also have the passion and work ethic to do what must be done, even in the face of adversity. You can do the same. One person can make a difference. But, that person must take charge of what is important to him or her. If exercise physiology is important, if you agree with the ASEP perspective, and if you “express” yourself to others, then you, too, can help shape the future of exercise physiology. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have all the facts. It simply doesn’t matter that you make mistakes. Leading others to a new way of thinking means that you will blow it from time to time. That’s life. No one is perfect or has to be perfect to lead, which reminds me of what Shirley Hufstedler said, “If you haven’t failed, you haven’t tried very hard.” So, why not think as an ASEP exercise physiologist? Why not take risks on behalf of ASEP? Why not write about ASEP or exercise physiology? Why not let others know how you feel if you are a board certified exercise physiologist? Speak up, be a leader!

The bottom line is that leaders see through the bull. Tired of the some old thing they “call for change” in themselves and others. This is not a new idea to most people. After all, doing the right thing for the right reasons is a matter of integrity. No one wants to wake up years from now and say, “If only I had understood what I know now.” If only exercise physiologists would just be themselves, if only they would stop playing by the sports medicine rules, and if only they would pay attention to what matters in the lives of their students, they would make a mark on exercise physiology. Simply put, this isn’t happening as fast as it should. Part of the problem, I think, is that they don’t think one person can make a difference. The challenges, issues, and concerns are just too much for them. But, listen to me…please. You can make a difference. Show some backbone. Standup and let others know what is right. Be a leader.

The courage to take a stand is 100% important. You can start by writing down your thoughts. Why do exercise physiologist need their own professional organization? To support the ASEP organization, why not encourage students, friends, and colleagues to join ASEP? It is time to change from the old way of thinking to the new way. Commit to change. Be a leader. Take part in the upcoming ASEP National Meeting at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in late March and early April. Action is what we need, because with it, the vision becomes reality. The vision is our freedom. It fuels our thinking and drives our passion as healthcare professionals. What could be better than the freedom to be ourselves? It can start with you!