The other day I was navigating some irritating traffic and talking on the phone to a friend of mine. At one point, a driver did something in front of me that I did not appreciate so I honked my horn. Upon hearing the horn, my friend noted that every time he speaks to me on the phone while I am driving, he hears me honk at somebody. That led us to a humorous discussion about our offensive driving style. Our conversation led me to think about how driving styles and leadership style can be a reflection of each other. For example:
When driving, do you look only at the car right in front of you or several cars ahead? I am constantly looking 4-5 cars ahead to see what is happening in front of me. If an accident occurs, I am more prepared to do something about it. Are you focused on what is just in front of you or are you on the look-out for the unexpected trouble/opportunity ahead?
Do you drive in the HOV lane – SLOWER than the flow of traffic? This drives me nuts. It is like the person driving says “I have 2+ people in my car so I HAVE to get into the HOV lane”. Are you being a sheep and just “following” the rules because that is what the sign says?
When driving in interstate traffic, do you stay in the same lane, regardless of whether the lanes next to you are going faster? I cannot stay in the same lane. I am always looking to gain position. Sometimes it works sometimes it does not. Are you stuck in the same lane, even if it is not the best lane to advance your company?
Are you looking up ahead in traffic to see where the gaps in traffic are forming? I am always trying to anticipate what is going to happen next by observing the traffic patterns around me. If an opportunity presents itself, I am ready to act. Are you looking for the next opportunity?
Do you find yourself competing with traffic to get where you are going a few minutes quicker? When I am stuck in traffic, I find myself picking a semi-truck way up ahead of me and seeing if I can get ahead of it. Once I accomplish that goal, I pick another truck. What is your next goal?
When coming up to a traffic light, do you look at the cross-walk signal to see how much time you have before the light changes? Why do this? It lets me know how much time is left on the green/yellow light because in my world, yellow means speed up. Unfortunately, red light cameras are starting to cramp my style. Are you using all the information available to you make split second decisions?
When driving, are you oblivious to what is happening around you? It is amazing to me how some people can be so completely out of touch with their surroundings. Are you oblivious to the business climate around you and just keep doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different result?
These are just a few examples. Do you have any you can share?
May 13, 2011 at 10:36 pm |
Ha ha ha! Great post, Kevin. We have the same driving style!
May 21, 2011 at 6:15 pm |
After reading the post I actually felt a bit better about who I am and my style. Then again maybe I shouldn’t , according to my style of driving I am checking everything out and sometimes don’t change lanes being too careful. I think if I took a bit more risk in my life (not on the road) I would be ahead. As always Kevin you give me things to think about.