Lessons From Ruts

I brought home a new Jeep Wrangler for a weekend test drive. It was Spring.

We have a six-foot grassy bank leading up to our lawn. I thought, “Perfect. Let’s see if this baby can climb!”

I engaged the 4-wheel drive and hit the bank with confidence. The Jeep clawed its way up, barely made it over the crest, and then started spinning. Mud flew everywhere. Grass tore loose.

I started backing down. That’s when things got worse.

The trailer hitch jammed into the pavement. Stuck! I couldn’t go up. I couldn’t go back.

I worked to un-Wrangler myself! With jack in hand, I put boards under the rear tires. I wore muddy embarrassment while the neighbors cracked up.

Eventually, I worked my borrowed Wrangler free, washed it, and returned it to the dealership. I didn’t buy it. But I bought the experience.

That was years ago.

You can’t see the ruts in the bank anymore. But our lawn tractor feels the bumps. Every time I mow I am reminded of my muddy fiasco.

2 Lessons from Ruts

#1. Tracks.

Busyness makes you forget that you leave tracks on people’s lives.

You might forget, but others remember.

Sometimes you nudge people forward. Other times you spin mud on them.

Some tracks last a lifetime.

Leadership Reflection: What kind of tracks are you leaving? What’s it like to interact with you?

#2. Backing up.

Bold decisions have hidden traps.

Think before you charge uphill. Some decisions look bold at first—and become traps when it’s time to back up.

Charging ahead feels exhilarating, until you have to back up.

Leadership Reflection: Before you climb the bank, ask, “If this endeavor fails, what are the consequences?”

Do you have a story about the ruts you have made?

Who has left ruts in your life?

Keep Going:

The Path to Self-Leadership Made Clear

Are You Aware of Your Impact?