The Race is won or lost in the mountains
It usually consists of 21 stages and covers approximately 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles). It’s the world’s most grueling bicycle race, The Tour de France. Race observers suggest all winners excel at individual time trials and hill climbing. Bottom line, you can’t win if you can’t endure the demands of climbing mountains.
All leaders face mountains made of urgent needs, personnel issues, financial shortfalls, resistance, misunderstanding, frustration, tiredness, competition, success, and more. However, success requires a unique ability to care about the present crisis and future objectives at the same time, to focus on now and not yet simultaneously.
I’ve read that deer can see in two directions at the same time. They lower their heads looking at grassy snacks and at the same time they scan the distance for predators. That’s why you can’t silently sneak up on deer while they’re eating.
You’re facing challenges that nibble at your focus or gobble up your attention. Truth is, you can’t turn away from them. You shouldn’t turn away. However, if they capture your attention you’ll gradually become like a dog chasing its tail.
The greatest danger in the mountains is distraction, losing sight of personal and organizational mission, vision, and objectives. Distracted leaders “mistake activity for achievement.” (John Wooden)
You avoid distraction with two important questions. Why are we doing what we’re doing? And, what are we really accomplishing? Asking these questions enables leaders to focus on both, now and not yet at the same time.
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What is the greatest danger leader’s face during crisis or stress (in the mountains)? How should leaders face the mountains?
Hi Dan, won’t get distracted raving about the tour or Lance Armstrong. Face the mountains with courage and belief – belief in yourself and belief in your people. Also the knowledge that you are vulnerable and you may need different inputs to other moments. Sometimes, just sometimes it is not your type of crisis and there is no harm in giving others more control than normal.
It’s a very interesting question to pose, often people don’t know the real answer until they are on the mountain.
Go Well, Richard
Ohhh…. and Chrissy is going to love the Cycle log blog when she wakes in the morning, thanks from her 🙂
Dear Dan,
Sighting an example of bicycling race in the mountains is the most appropriate example to relate to the business like tough situations as faced by business leaders. They need to show the high degree of courage, keep the spirit of employee staff intact, maintain the perseverance by following the set rules of the game and march towards the victory mark with improved ways.
The usual stress level for leaders during the turbulent times is to ensure business excellence with innovation and retain the key staff on their side to taste the success. There is a tendency of best talents to move out or being poached by competitors during the crisis.
Good leaders take such situations as challenges to prove their mettle by recharging the teams with good inflow of newer ideas and fortified efforts in the right direction.
Dr. Asher
Reading your comment makes me think about the importance of maintaining a forward-looking, outward-facing approach during tough times.
When we feel like drawing back it may be a signal to press forward.
Best regards to you,
Dan
Dear Dan,
I like this discussion. You have raised very valid point that exists in almost all the organisations. Distractions seem to be integral part of the organisaton but they can be overcome by direction ( vision, mission, objective, goal ect) and committment from employees to follow it with passion and perseverance. So, alignment of purpose, passion and perseverance with direction is necessary to avoid distractions in the organisation. The greatest danger during the crisis in any organisation is restoration of trust and maintaining leadership confidence. Here trust is the enabler and confidence is the driver. Trust amongst employees creates platform where leader can take off with confidence in any desired direction. Similarly bicycle creates trust for bicycler and he does not think about functionality of bicycle because he knows that it is trustworthy. Now this trust boosts his confidence and this is the way how organisations operate. Trust at all level determines leadership and people confidence and this is virtuous cycle.
Dear Ajay,
You’ve taken the bicycle illustration to a new level by adding the trust component. When we trust we don’t think about functionality. I really like that idea. It reminds me of “the speed of trust.”
Very clever comment — “Direction overcomes distraction”
As always it’s a pleasure,
Dan
One might suggest that the distraction is part of the journey! (Although I don’t think I have ever seen Lance stop and smell the roses or stop for a glass of wine while racing.)
And most definitely with the Tour and in business, it is the team that enables the win, it is not won by just one person.
There are also the intriguing alliances and collaborations within the competing factions for a common goal.
I have not done the Tour, but I did do the Canadian Ironman and my chain broke ( link snapped from the stress) as I was cresting Richter Pass after a long 11 km climb up the mountain to the top at 3,000 feet.
As much as a triathlon is a different race than the Tour, the analogy is still fitting. With a broken chain, no sag wagon in sight, I had many choices:
• Sit and wait
• Search for a fix on top of Richter or
• Get up and go
Leaders will assess the situation, make a decision and act, I got up and went, or at least I coasted forward, down the mountain, where I found mechanical help, fixed the broken chain, and set a personal best for my second Ironman race.
A broken chain is a distraction, the objecting is forward momentum, and finishing fast was the goal. Sitting on top waiting was not meeting either.
Tony,
One of my favorite parts of reading comments is reading personal stories and illustrations. Great stuff.
Reading your comment reminds me to “do what I can with what I have.” Or, Don’t focus on what I can’t do, focus on what I can.
I’m delighted you came by,
Dan
As a ‘gotta be busy’ person, I very often fall into this trap of ‘being busy doing nothing’. The example of the deer is fitting and will serve as a great reminder to me in the future whenever I ‘mistake activity for achievement’.
Got to be them deer 🙂
Love this post Mr. Rockwell.
Regards,
Deep