The Best Leaders Stand at the Finish Line—Here’s Why | Mike Reilly - E81

Dusty sits down with Mike Reilly, the longtime voice of Ironman, for an inspiring conversation about perseverance, recognition, and what it means to help others find their finish line. After calling nearly half a million athletes across the finish line at 215 Ironman races around the world, Mike shares the unexpected origin of the iconic words “You are an Ironman” and explains why he treated every finish as a one-on-one conversation rather than another name in a crowd. Together, he and Dusty explore how that same mindset translates to leadership, where authentic recognition, deep listening, and making the moment about someone else can have an impact that lasts for decades. Drawing from Mike’s book *Finding Your Finish Line*, they unpack the importance of taking responsibility for how you respond to life, continuing to move forward through adversity, and viewing a finish line not as an ending but as the foundation for whatever comes next. Mike also reflects on discovering endurance sports, learning to champion others, staying mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally engaged, and continuing to pursue new finish lines through family, relationships, writing, and speaking. Ultimately, the conversation reframes leadership as an opportunity to stand at the finish lines of other people’s journeys, recognise what they have accomplished, and give them the encouragement to keep moving forward.  **Key Timestamps:** (01:18) – You Are an Ironman (09:42) – One-on-One Leadership (14:08) – Finding Your Finish Line (23:14) – Starting at the Finish Line (25:45) – Mike’s Origin Story (31:22) – Lifting People Up (35:51) – Mike’s Next Finish Line (38:47) – Goal vs. Finish Line (41:57) – Rapid-Fire Questions **Key Topics Discussed:** Leadership Unlocked, Leadership Insights, Dusty Holcomb, Servant Leadership Principles, Self-Leadership Strategies, Growth Mindset in Leadership, Integrity and Leadership, Leadership Development Resources, Effective Leadership Habits, Empowering Leadership Techniques, Senior Executive Insights, Leadership Quotes and Reflections, Leadership Podcast, Executive Coaching, CEO Podcast, Business Leadership, Leadership Growth, Leadership Journey, Stories From Leaders, Leadership Tools, High-Performing Teams, Leadership Mindset, Decision Making, Personal Growth, Leadership Coaching, Organizational Leadership **Mentions:** Website: https://mikereilly.net/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike71reilly/  Mentions:  https://mikereilly.net/book  https://www.active.com/  https://www.challengedathletes.org/  *Finding Your Finish Line* by Mike Reilly *The Comfort Crisis* by Michael Easter *Man’s Search for Meaning* by Viktor Frankl **Modern Problems. Ancient Wisdom:** Ancient Intelligence explores the timeless principles that can help leaders better understand themselves, our world, and how we lead in the era of AI: https://ancientintelligencebook.com/  **More of Leadership Unlocked:** Check out our leadership development resources at https://arcqusgroup.com/ Contact me at [dusty@arcqusgroup.com](mailto:dusty@arcqusgroup.com) - (00:00) - 81 - Mike Reilly - (01:18) - You Are an Ironman - (09:41) - One on One Leadership - (14:08) - Finding Your Finish Line - (23:14) - Starting at the Finish Line - (31:25) - Lifting People Up - (35:54) - Mike's Next Finish Line - (38:50) - Goal vs Finish Line - (41:58) - Rapid Fire Questions