DURING MY DAILY old guy jog recently, a lady walking her dog said, “Have a good run!” as we crossed paths. Not being a runner, I continued to be puzzled by the definition of a good run.

My idea of a runner’s high is when it is raining too hard to bother lacing up the shoes. This year, during the 50th reunion of my high school class, my cross-country coach thanked me for going out so we could field a team.

My role was to finish before the trail markers were removed from the course and after allowing our team’s other four runners’ scores to count. Just finishing a run continues to be my goal. I knew my coach would agree, although I realize this is not a good attribute for a runner.

In my quest to solve the good run quandary, I reached out to colleagues who are serious runners — Bridget Weiss, superintendent in Juneau, Alaska, and Frank Davidson, a retired superintendent and faculty colleague at Northern Arizona University. Besides being runners, Weiss and Davidson share another distinction as past recipients of their respective states’ superintendent of the year honors (Weiss in Alaska this year, and Davidson in Arizona in 2006).

My colleagues shined light on what constitutes a good run by sharing insights on the connection between running and leading an organization.

»Set and maintain the right pace.

Start too fast and you have nothing left in the tank for the final mile. Start too slowly and your heart rate does not get up to speed to warm the muscles.

Take advantage of the terrain by speeding up downhill and give yourself a break when climbing those railroad ties. Similarly, both mentioned that keeping a challenging pace as being instinctive developed after years running.

Effective superintendents take a similar approach. Initiating and achieving innovative change requires endurance and intuitive timing. Push through a new 4th-grade reading curriculum without buy-in from a teacher pilot and you are likely to be stooped over and out of breath after the school board votes to rescind the expensive program. Taking too long to study the feasibility of renovating the district swimming pool could result in losing a key board member’s interest and vote.

»Provide immediate, specific and nonjudgmental feedback.

Advances in time and distance tracking devices have upped the runners’ game. One superintendent compared it to having a virtual trainer at your side for every run. The graphs and displays verify and validate “I feel like I had a good run” with data.

The fitness app does not judge your run, but it measures your progress and awards badges for achievements. The judging is left to the only person who can change the numbers: the runner.

Clear communication of data aligned with strategic planning goals has gone from preferred to required on the superintendent’s job description. The challenge is deciding which data best measure the school district’s vital signs and discovering effective systems for real-time reporting to stakeholders. Awareness is the key to continuous improvement and just as the runner needs to activate the app tracking the journey, a superintendent must activate equitable and effective data management systems.

Having courageous nonjudgmental feedback conversations with board members also has become an essential superintendent skill. Like the fitness tracking device, these conversations can provide the facts and keep the board members’ dignity and respect intact.

»Enjoy and share the experience.

When asked to disclose their good run secret sauce, Davidson indicated he tried to “savor the trail, the moment and the environment” around him, while Weiss suggested “a good run is often one with a friend or friends along.”

All superintendents will have days when they don’t want to lace up the shoes. Wearing socks to bed and following my colleagues’ advice can ensure a good run every day on the trail and in the superintendency.

NIC CLEMENT is the Ernest W. McFarland Citizen’s Chair in Education at Northern Arizona University in Tucson, Ariz.  Twitter: @brainonschool