The driver’s seat, a position with several vantage points. It provides multiple perspectives from one location. It’s the driver’s seat where all things are possible.
The Driver’s Seat
In less than five days, our youngest child will be in the driver’s seat…alone. Grant turns sixteen on Wednesday and tests for his license on Friday. The time is near!
This past Friday he and I went up to the Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawsonville, Georgia. He participated in the DriveStrong Program, a non-profit driver’s education program that equips drivers with lifesaving advanced driving skills.
The program was three hours total. Since Dawsonville is a little over an hour away from us, we decided to make a day of it. We grabbed breakfast, visited a friend, dropped into a fishing store, went school shopping, and wrapped up the day with a round of golf. It was a full day!
We were on the road a lot. This gave Grant a lot of time behind the wheel and a lot of time for me to think. From the passenger seat, I thought a lot about the perspective of being in the driver’s seat.
There are plenty of applications to life and leadership. Here are three thoughts:
Windshield World
I will never forget what Grant is about to experience. That feeling of excitement, anticipation, and freedom! The exhilaration of holding that license that will take you places in this world.
“There is a world beyond your windshield.” That was a quote from a story that our retired Chief of Police, Wayne Dennard, once told me. Grant is not too far off of experiencing that world. He will soon possess the keys to what is possible.
In life and leadership, our own windshield can be the limiting factor of seeing the world. Our windshield is the barrier between our world and the world of others. Selfish ends at the windshield, selfless begins beyond it. Selfless is where the meaningful journey begins. It’s where the true impact is made.
Twelve Second Rule
In the defensive driving world, the Twelve Second Rule teaches you to look ahead and anticipate upcoming hazards. This thought process allows the driver to adjust to the conditions ahead. It helps the driver avoid the unforeseen.
Distractions such as loud music, texting while driving, and passengers can prevent the driver’s ability to see twelve seconds ahead.
The same is true for our personal and professional worlds. Distractions are in abundance…critics, chaos, confusion, and ever evolving circumstances. Busyness keeps our focus limited to the windshield, the most immediate thing in front of us.
In life and leadership, it may not always be twelve seconds. The avoidance of the hazards may require twelve minutes, twelve hours, twelve weeks, twelve months, and at times twelve years.
It’s the ability to anticipate the challenges that await us in life. While it’s impossible to anticipate everything, it’s helpful to look far enough ahead to mitigate any head on collisions. The known obstacles ahead.
Rearview Mirrors Reflect
Driving is much harder when we try to go forward, but remain focused on the rearview mirror. Getting fixated on the view behind, restricts our view of the road ahead. Looking back never gets us to our future destination.
Rearview mirrors are reflective by design. Mirrors are shiny. Shiny things grab our attention. It keeps our attention away from what is important…the drive ahead.
The rearview mirror of life and leadership presents similar challenges. It’s constantly trying to capture our attention to distract us from the journey ahead. Whether it’s past failures, bad decisions, or traumatic events, they leave us Stuck looking backwards. Sometimes it’s our successes too, getting hung up on that award, the achievement, or the recognition from years ago. None of these things carry us forward in the journey.
The past is purposeful, but the destination is forward. Past experiences can fuel that journey or leave us on empty.
Conclusion
As a parent, there are a lot of emotions that come with a child obtaining the credentials to sit in the driver’s seat. It’s scary. Worry and fear can easily take control of the wheel.
Here is what I have learned in the process. Time passes quick. It’s the first thing EVERYONE tells you when you have kids. It’s one of the most true pieces of advice I have ever received. The same kid that was fully dependent on his mother and I to exist is now free to roam.
Let’s revisit the concept of rearview mirrors. We should peek into the rearview mirror, we shouldn’t stay there long. It should be a quick action that does not require a lot of wasted time.
From the driver’s seat of life and leadership, never forget the importance of peeking. It places our full attention on the time we have left, not the time that has gone by. The potential for the experience that awaits around the next turn.
It creates opportunities for full days like Grant and I experienced on Friday. Seize the time we have left while we are still in the driver’s seat. We don’t stay there forever.
