Racing to victory

Let’s talk acceleration – but perhaps not in the way you think.

Hop into the race car with me. Pick any car, from stock to Formula 1, and any course, from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to Mission Raceway Park, and let’s get rolling.

When it comes to motor sports, it’s easy to win in the straightaway. Ridiculously easy. Lock your arms, put the pedal to the metal and, well, that’s it. There’s not a ton of skill in the straightaway. Whoever built the best car, whoever prepared for the race best probably has the best shot at winning.

But champions know races are not won in the straightaway. Instead, races are won in two places: In the pits. And in the corners.

The pits are all about team. Do you have the right people who are inspired and empowered to do the job that you need them to do when the pressure is on?

Most successful businesses have that. If not, they’re stalled in the garage before the race starts.

The corners are different, however.

The corners are all on the driver. How a driver handles corners often determines the race.

As they enter the corner, great drivers slow the car down until they get control. They go from a state of chaos to a state of composure. The challenge is ensuring that the composure doesn’t turn into complacency. Great drivers know that to win the race you need to accelerate in the middle of the curve so that by the time you hit the straightaway again you do so with great momentum and great speed, so you can lap everybody else that waited.

In your case, corners can determine and define your career, too.

In its lifetime, your business will go through a ton of corners like recessions, pandemics, supply chain issues, political instability and more. Do you sit on your hands and wait it out? No. You gain control and ensure your composure doesn’t lead to complacency by accelerating in the middle of the curve.

We’re nearing the end of one curve.

It’s time for businesses to accelerate. Put the pedal to the metal and go full speed ahead. The key word there is “ahead.” This isn’t about going back to recovery. This is about going forward to reinvention and growth: Personal growth. Departmental growth. Company growth. Community growth. When leaders commit to their own growth, organizational growth follows.

IMHO, leadership is taking specific actions based on the information you have to improve the lives of the people around you. This is a massive opportunity for those who realize that it’s a privilege to be in a seat of leadership. It’s a responsibility to commit to personal growth. And it’s a reward to experience people sharing in that growth.

Nobody should be waiting for the corner to end to get to work. Let’s go.

Ron Tite, a best-selling author, speaker and entrepreneur, is the founder of Church+State, host and executive producer of the hit podcast The Coup, and publisher of the satirical This is That: Travel Guide to Canada. His most recent book is Think Do Say: How to seize attention and build trust in a busy, busy world.Read more by Ron Tite