A leadership lesson from driving

Every day people get into their cars and drive to various places and destinations. The roads are full of vehicles of all shapes and sizes.?

I want to use the aspect of driving to highlight what happens in many companies and organizations.

When we first learn how to drive, we learn the skills and competencies to maneuver the vehicle. We also learn the rules we need to observe while driving. These are all behaviors.

Does this mean that we drive in a way that considers other drivers? Does this mean that we follow the rules of engagement?

No. Pay attention when driving this week and see what you notice in how you and others drive.

Here are some of the bad driving habits I want to invite you to pay attention to:

-???????Driving distracted (e.g., on the phone)

-???????Speeding

-???????Cutting cars off

-???????Disregarding traffic signs

-???????Merging incorrectly

-???????Turning improperly

-???????Following too closely

-???????Overtaking on the left

-???????Driving slow in the overtake lane (far right lane)

-???????Ignoring blind spots

-???????Failing to signal

-???????Driving without a seat belt

We probably all exhibit some if not many, of these bad driving habits (behaviors) ourselves every day.

Why? Because we are likely driving, thinking only about ourselves.

Here is the challenge. Are we aware that we are doing these things? And do we feel justified in doing these things?

In the following video, you will hear our colleague explain the central problem at the heart of human sciences: the problem of?self-deception. This central problem was solved by the scholar Dr. C. Terry Warner, the founder of the Arbinger Institute and that work revealed two distinct mindsets from which people and organizations operate – a self-focused inward mindset and an others-inclusive outward mindset – and the path to sustainably changing mindset and results.

Now let’s take a moment and think about a typical employee/leader at work.

They would probably say: “I do my work.” Just like when we drive. I simply drive.

What would the employee/leader we need look like?

Imagine we would all drive in a way that makes it easier for others to drive too.

Imagine we would all follow the driving rules and consider the needs of other drivers.

What would happen on our roads?

What would happen to traffic congestion?

Imagine organizations would have employees and leaders who work in a way that makes it easier for others to achieve their objectives.

What would happen to the results?

What would happen to performance?

What would happen to culture?

The real problem we have is the following.

Too often, people show up to work mainly focused on their results, while others don’t matter as they matter. When this is the case – they no longer see their co-workers, direct reports, and leaders as people but instead as objects. This distorted reality is at the heart of many of the people problems in an organization.

Just like in driving. We leave our houses and drive thinking only about ourselves and our needs. We are not alive to the needs of other drivers. We see other drivers as objects, i.e., obstacles in our way or irrelevancies we ignore.

Problems like (bad driving behavior), waste, friction, low morale, disengagement, and poor collaboration will last forever unless we fix what is causing all these problems.

?And what is it that is causing these problems?

So, what can we do?

Well, we need to change our mindset. In this next video, you will hear Arbinger’s Managing Partner and Author, Mitch Warner explain why most change initiatives don’t work and that the problems we are experiencing are actually symptoms of a deeper problem – mindset.?

Now that we have a better understanding of the fundamental problem we all have, let us go back again to Mitch as he explains that in every one of our interactions, we work from one of two mindsets: an inward or an outward mindset and how these mindsets impact our daily life, whether at work or at home.?

Take a moment and pay attention to people who see you, who are curious about your needs, your challenges and objectives. When driving, be on the lookout for those drivers who are considerate, who make it easier for others, who help the traffic flow by thinking about the needs of others. Notice people in your life, both at home and at work who help other people feel seen.?

Pay specific attention to how other people respond to them.?

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