This past weekend I've had the privilege of taking away some fantastic young adults to the New Zealand National Athletics Championships.  As a sprints and hurdles coach I'm very aware that our responsibility is not just to help our athletes perform, but that they enjoy applying themselves to an endeavour that is at various times challenging and rewarding, difficult and lonely, inspiring and motivating.  These are the same challanges of leadership.  I'm a big believer that sport plays an important role in developing future leaders.  It teaches perseverance, grace in the face of losing, dignity in disappointment, application, endeavour, hope, and ambition - all wonderful qualities.  As coaches and role models for our children this is an important responsibility.  This, then, is where leadership comes from, the experiences we have growing up and the lessons we learn - often lessons we do not realise have been passed on to us until our twenties and thirties when we begin to take stock and look back at who influenced us and who we admire.  Our club athletes have done very well this year; many personal bests and, more importantly, achievements beyond what individuals thought possible at the start of the season.  We are building a great team culture, with it a strong club, and years from now leaders in whatever endeavour of life they choose to pursue.  How does this apply to business?  Well, how does a business identify and generate future leadership?  What methods do they use to develop talent and its cousins - hope, self-confidence, self-management, discipline, perseverance in the face of adversity, and goal-setting?  Most importantly, how does a business develop the most important leadership quality of all - the ability to lead oneself?  If the athletes we have taken to Wellington this past weekend to compete are any indication, our future is in good hands.