READY – FIRE – AIM

Setting the Pace…

One of my fondest childhood memories is watching the Indy 500 with friends and family. I can remember the first Indy 500 I watched and specifically - my captivation with the concept of the “pace car.”

The very first pace car I watched set the pace was a Chevy Corvette. I remember thinking, “this is a car race, what on earth does a pace car do and why do need it?”

At some point I asked the question out loud “what does the pace car do?” 

Without any hesitation someone in the room replied “it is paces the drivers to insure they are up to speed and ready to start the race.”

I now realize that the “pace car” was actually the “pace setter” for the beginning of the race. I now also realize that the “pace car” does so much more that just set the speed. The “pace car” insures that the track is safe, all racers are on the track, that a manageable starting speed is set, and much more.

What Leaders Do…

In life, this is what leaders do. Leaders are the “pace cars.”

In this blog series (Ready, Aim, Fire) I am going to spend a few weeks addressing goals and how they impact the pace of leadership and the pace of an organization.

The Monday challenge…

I am going to start this series by inviting you to answer this question...

“Do those I lead know my organization’s top three goals and priorities?”

• If you believe the answer to be yes, I invite you to ask those you lead to clearly and cleanly articulate those goals and priorities back to you in order.
• If you believe the answer to be no, I invite you to immediately begin to set the pace by sharing and reviewing the goals and priorities with everyone you lead.

Happy Monday!