Why one CEO sets ‘non -goals’ - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness

The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson ran all his life but became an ultramarathoner in his 40s. Recommitting to the sport helped him break records and even get faster as he aged. The discipline he built also helped transform his approach to nearly every aspect of his life. His latest book, The Running Ground, focuses on his own personal journey with running, a sport that helped him cope with a cancer diagnosis in his 30s and later process his relationship with his complicated father. In this special conversation, Nick shares what running can teach leaders about the healthy habits that underpin success, pacing for the long game, and breaking through the mental barriers that derail progress. He details some of the strategies that help this father of 3 make time for what matters most including setting ‘non-goals’ to manage energy and not just time. As the leader driving digital transformation at a 169-year-old publication, he also reflects on navigating historic disruption and what he’s learned from The Most Interesting Thing in Tech, the daily videos he posts exploring the most compelling tech trends of our time. About this episode: https://www.nickthompson.com/ The Most Interesting Thing in Tech https://www.tiktok.com/@nxthompson Related Annual Meeting 2026 sessions: Next Phase of Intelligence https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/next-phase-of-intelligence/ Regulating at the speed of code https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/regulating-at-the-speed-of-code/ Internet up for grabs https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/internet-up-for-grabs/ Related podcasts: Meet the Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA Meet The Leader - ‘I’ll show you a real leader’ - Platon, the photographer of power, on finding humanity in all of us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIUGFUza2ec&t=117sThe World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. It provides a global, impartial and not-for-profit platform for meaningful connection between stakeholders to establish trust, and build initiatives for cooperation and progress. Find out more below: World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/ YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/ Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/  X ► https://twitter.com/wef TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum WhatsApp ► https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDcHBKGZNCihKxwiD0L Threads ► https://www.threads.com/@worldeconomicforum Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF #WorldEconomicForum #wef