I was driving in my car the other day and as I observed how I drove compared to how others drove, I wondered, is there a correlation between driving a car and being driven for success? Thinking about the way I drive it does make sense. When I get in the car no matter whether I am in a rush or not, I like to get where I am going. The whole, "Let's go for a leisurely Sunday drive just doesn't work for me." I think the only time that may have been applicable was when I first got my license. Like most people I wanted to drive for the sake of driving.
As I embark on my journey to my destination I like to drive the speed limit (maybe even 5 over - occasionally). I am going to drive in the lanes that pose the path of least resistance. Why? Well it's more efficient and is going to help me arrive at my destination quicker. My dad, lovingly calls me a "lane changer" because I do not stay on one lane if it is hindering me or slowing me down. I think about the designation - "lane changer" and it really does apply to me. When I reflect back on my past and current successes I realize that I achieved those successes and goals because I had to constantly maneuver myself and change my way of thinking. Staying in one "lane" was not going to get me to my goal in the time frame that I wanted and in some cases not at all. I had to be willing to change lanes but also know when to slow down and speed up. It was not necessary for other people to know the rhyme and reason to my actions but as long as I knew what I was doing that is what mattered. In fact I have been criticized numerous times because the direction I was travelling was not the path that someone else thought I should travel. But they lacked the insight of what my goals were and where I wanted to go. When I drive I try to take the approach with my fellow drivers that they themselves are driving with purpose; that they are trying to get where they are going in an efficient manner. So besides driving my path toward my goals I am constantly tweaking and changing to help those around me. I don't know about you but this sounds like a great success plan - work toward your goals while helping others work for theirs. To quote the great Stephen Covey now we have a, "Win Win." Let's look at the flip side. How does my being a "lane changer" differ from a reckless driver? As I stated above my premise is to work for my goal while helping others work for theirs. If this means I have to stay in one lane longer than I planned or maybe drive a bit slower, then so be it (this is the WE approach). The reckless driver drives with purpose but it is theirs and theirs alone. They are going to get where they are going at whatever costs necessary and as quickly as possible. It is all about them (This is the ME approach). So I present to you some comparisons of driving and being driven to success. This is conjecture and may not apply to everyone. See if any of these apply to you:
Maybe you know some of these people, maybe you don't; maybe you are one or more of these people. My hope for you is this - whichever way you are driving to success, do it smartly, safely and think about others as you do so. Hopefully they are thinking about you as well. Building Leaders for Success is dedicated to educating and providing training and skills that will benefit you, your employees and your business. Check us out on the web at www.buildingleadersforsuccess.com, on Facebook at Building Leaders for Success and on Twitter @Leading4success. Enter your email address in the box to the right to receive these blogs and other offers from Building Leaders for Success.
0 Comments
|
AuthorFrank Taylor is founder and CEO of Building Leaders for Success, Inc. A musician of 25 years, educator of 15 years and a motivational speaker of 16 years, Mr. Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge that will promote success and fundamentals of leadership. Archives
April 2017
Categories
All
|