My son recently celebrated a birthday and although he is now an adult I could not help but to drift back in time remembering his birthdays as a child. One birthday in particular vividly came to mind; the year he received his first two-wheeler bicycle!
The look of joy on his face when he saw his gift of a shiny new bicycle for the first time will always stay with me. But what I most remember is that within minutes that Joyful expression changed to sadness and he said, “I don’t know how to ride a bike.”
I immediately reassured him, saying, “Of course you don’t know how because you have never been on a two-wheeler bicycle but you can learn. I will show you how and stand beside you as you practice. I’ll help you balance and steer until you can Balance on your own and then I will step away.”Even though that was decades ago the ‘lesson’ lingers and lives on.How similar it is to the process of LEADERSHIP?
THE LESSONS OF:
- Learning a new skill
- Learning how to lead our own lives
- Learning in turn how to balance guiding and leading others.
I know when I first accepted a Top Career appointment I felt prepared but it wasn’t until I stepped into the new position that I gained enough experience to truly GET MY BALANCE in handling it all.
This Bicycle Experience taught me:
- First find a trusted person (mentor) to stand with you when you begin something new. Someone who will encourage you as they instruct you!
- Get on the bike ….to experience the experience.
- Practice, practice, practice, until you have your Balance.
- Be willing to take a few falls and get up and back on the bike.
- Most of all be willing to admit we don’t always start out as the master…. understanding it is ‘the process’ of learning new things that builds and strengthens you and prepares you for success.
LIFE IS LIKE
RIDING A BICYCLE
TO KEEP YOUR BALANCE,
YOU MUST KEEP MOVING.
– Albert Einstein
Enjoy the ride!!!! Why not comment on your Bicycle Experiences?
