Are you in control of your ride?
I had a day off recently, hired a jet ski, and went exploring Sydney’s beautiful waterways for the day. It’s always nice to experience something you wouldn’t normally do to expand your perspective of the world.
Flying through the salty spray with my mind momentarily free from creating, I suddenly felt a beautiful analogy with strategic leadership begin to form. You’ll have to go with me for a bit on this one.
These things are fast. I mean, really fast. A small little boat with a very big, supercharged, engine that can get you to over 100 km an hour in under 10 seconds. And just a few feet from the water. Quite exhilarating – even for a pilot that does crazy stunts in the air!
There were four distinct experiences along the way that I found directly correlated to states of strategic leadership. See which ones you can relate to:
Full throttle ride and having a complete blast. Weaving, twisting, bouncing over the waves, just loving the agility to change direction in an instant with complete control over where you go next. Seeing the visual progress track across the water and revelling in driving the pace of change.
Full throttle and feeling stuck. Powering forward but holding on for dear life, fearful of changing direction in case you get thrown off. Gripping the throttle so hard you can’t slow down even if you wanted to, with every wave looking bigger and more menacing than the last.
Bobbing along nicely with the throttle back. Plenty of time to get in close and explore the shoreline, coast along and inhale the salty air. Time to enjoy the sights. listen to nature and take in the beautiful rock formations that scatter the coastline. A chance to unwind and be present in the moment as you float by the world.
Coasting on the tide, not quite aware of how slowly you are now going – or that the world is in fact passing you by. Slightly checked out and distracted, forgetting that you can tweak the throttle at any time to change your position and pace, but somehow losing track of what is possible.
These states of being are not about judging right or wrong, they’re about awareness and control. Driving a fast pace might feel exhilarating, but are you overlooking what’s going on beneath the surface? Equally, staying steady in the moment may miss the opportunities that change can bring.
What state are you in? What state do you want to be in? And what will you change if these don’t align?
Bringing awareness to what is happening, and then making a conscious choice as to whether that is right for you now and next, is a foundational part of Strategic leadership. In order to lead others, you have to start with leading yourself.
If you want to talk more about navigating your ride in changing conditions, let’s chat.