Rev Up Right

I recently found myself scrolling through Instagram reels, and one caught my attention: an employee at a major retail company, visibly upset, quits over the loudspeaker, expressing frustration at their manager. They spoke about being gaslit and constantly pressured—an all-too-familiar story in workplaces today. The strain of leadership had been passed down, unchecked, onto this employee, until it snapped. This moment made me pause and reflect on leadership and its impact on those we manage.

It reminded me of a powerful analogy: Imagine you’re in the driver’s seat of a high-performance race car. Your team is the finely tuned machine beneath you, built for speed and success. As the driver, you have the power to push the car to its limits, testing its performance with every turn, every straightaway. But here’s the catch—if you don’t know when to ease up, if you don’t feel the strain building beneath you, that car could break down before it ever crosses the finish line.

In leadership, we are the drivers, and our teams are the race cars. Just as a driver must understand their car’s capabilities and limits, leaders must be in tune with their teams. You can’t push them endlessly without knowing when they need maintenance, a pit stop, or just a moment to catch their breath. If you drive recklessly, you risk burning out the engine—losing the very people who are working hardest to help you succeed.

A skilled race car driver doesn’t just floor the gas pedal and hope for the best. They know when to accelerate, when to brake, and when to steer with precision. Similarly, as leaders, we need to sense when our team is reaching its limits and make adjustments before the wheels start to come off.

Pressure is part of the race, just like it’s part of business. But the best leaders understand that simply transferring that pressure onto the team can cause burnout, disengagement, and even failure. Instead, they take ownership of the stress, ensuring they steer their team wisely, knowing when to push for performance and when to ease off to protect them.

Just like the driver who protects the integrity of their car, a great leader ensures that their team stays in top condition. This means understanding their strengths, their vulnerabilities, and the signals they give when they’re approaching the edge.

Leadership isn’t just about crossing the finish line first—it’s about making sure your team crosses it together, intact, and ready for the next challenge. A race car may be powerful, but without the steady hand of a skilled driver, it risks spinning out of control. The same is true for your team. They need your guidance, your care, and your ability to know just how far they can go before they need to recover.

So, as you take the wheel in your leadership role, remember: you’re not just racing to win. You’re responsible for the vehicle beneath you. Drive with awareness. Lead with empathy. And know that the best leaders aren’t the ones who push the hardest—they’re the ones who guide their teams to sustainable, long-term success.