I recently decided to try an old sport: biking. To be more specific, mountain biking, and I thought, how hard could it be? I used to bike all the time. I was right. It was easy to get back on the bike, and I was very content riding it for several hours at a time.
So I decided to go find a trail and ride it. I wasn't more than 100 yards into the trail when I came to a cliff that went straight down into a creek bed and back up the other side. I was thinking that no one no one would really do this, but to my surprise, three bikers came around the corner and went flying down the hill and back up the other side. I was amazed but not brave enough to try this, so I walked my bike down the trail and back up the other side. I got back on my bike and went a couple hundred yards to another screeching halt over another edge, got off my bike, and walked. And so it went the rest of the 7 miles of trail. When I got back to my car, I realized that I needed an easier trail, so the next weekend I went to another trail but still found myself walking up and down most areas.
In talking to a friend of mine who is also the CEO of a 100 million dollar company, he said he mountain bikes every weekend, and he would be glad to show me the ropes. So that weekend, we went out to ride. He coached me so well that I know know how he runs such a great company.
The first 4 miles he rode in front of me and called out when to brake and when to shift. He would let me try to go over rocks and ruts, and then he’d stop to give me some quick training. Then, and this is the amazing part, he would get off his bike, go to the spot I was most likely to fall, stand there, tell me to go ahead, and he would catch me if I fell. He then stopped and said "lets switch positions and you get out and lead, and call out to me what is upcoming" Here was a very experienced biker asking me to lead after only one hour. I now had to pay more attention to the road and call out obstacles and how to get around them, but I was learning by leading.
How many CEOs out there today are telling their people "Go ahead and trying something new and different, and if you fall, I will be there to catch you”?
How many CEOs are willing to give the reins to someone else and follow?
Only the successful ones.