How many times have you checked one off from your bucket list? Dave had preparing for fullfilling one of his dreams for several months. Aside from dreamily watching the chrome flash by, forwarned by the signature rumble minutes earleir, he decided to take the step. First there were lessons. In addition to obtaining a license, these machines take some careful instructions and practice. You need to fully understand what is between your knee caps, and beneath your leather chaps. Think about it…a 1999 Fat Boy weighs 672 pounds, including a V2, four-stroke engine displcaing 1338.00 ccm, with power ratings of 56.0 HP @ 5000 rpm, and will jetison you from 0-100 mph in 7.2 seconds, while you sit 28 inches off the road. Yes, Dave fullfilled his dream, clicking one of the list, as he picked out, and prepared to ride his new Harley.
During his lessons, he was given practical riding tips, in addition to the rules of the road. Finishing the class entitled him to his license, but also a keen sense of safety, and how to enjoy the ride. Simple lessons such as how to turn a corner might seem entry level to you, but it’s a graduate level chapter in the how to ride a Harley book.
Dave was instructed to lift his head up, look at where he is going, not where the wheel is touching the road. In simple terms, the bike wants to take you where you want to go. If you turn your head and shoulders to look around the corner, the bike somewhat magically will follow you there. Contrarily, look at the wheel hitting the road, and you are certain to choke off the turn, and the bike will begin to fall. Remember, you are balancing over 650 pounds between your legs, in addition to your own weight. Its very important to keep the bike going where you see you “want to to be”, not stuck in the “where I am now”.
Good for Dave you are probably thinking.
But so what?
Why should this matter to the Rare Leader™?
Dave is President and CEO of a large Organization. In a recent meeting of his Leadership Team, he took them through a quick exercise. You may want to try this yourself.
“Stand up…everyone stand”, Dave said. As he waited, he heard the usual grumbling, or joking, about yet another touchy feely experience that must be coming. “Now bow your head”. As heads were beginnning to look downward, he added, “keep your eyes open, this isn’t a prayer session”. Soon, he had everyone following his lead. “What do you see” he asked? My shoes, joked one person, followed by a few soft chuckles. A coffee stain on the carpet, added another. “Oh come on now” Dave encouraged, “look closer, there must be more to see.” Silence. No snickers. No jokes. They stood there for a few minutes more. They knew Dave was dead serious, and they were missing something.
Finally one persom spoke and quietly said, Im sorry Dave, but I only see the same thing. The longer I stare, the more I focus, the more I think about it, I always see the same small area with little else in my view. “OK…good!” Dave smiled as he replied to her. “You can all raise your heads now. As you do, tell me what you now see.
Everyone…tell me what you see!” The room was filled with chatter. There were simple words like door. Personal words like my friend. And then came longer groups of words such as, it changes everytime I open close and open my eyes. And finally, they began to tell stories of their vision. Stories of where they see they wanted to be. Places of hope, and a hope they could really get there.
Dave closed the exercise reminding them of the obvious. If we are always looking down, myopia takes over. We would only move within a small circle and eventually fall down, dizzy from lack of forward momentum. But look what we have in front of us when we raise our heads and gaze where we want to be. As a Team, we must keep our heads raised, and always look forward. The road starts here, and if we look forward, our Team and Organization will magically follow to where we have always wanted to go.
You want to be a Rare Leader™?
Where are you looking?
The road starts here, if you would only raise your head.
If you want to learn more about the Rare Leader™ in you,
or if you are interested in retaining Steve as your Executive Coach,
