I learned to ride a bike when I was five. It wasn’t authorized, but I “borrowed” my brother’s cherished banana seat model, maneuvered the bike to the curb, put my feet in the pedals, shoved off…
And crashed.
I must have laid that bike down into the grass on the median a hundred times until it finally clicked. But once it did, I was as cool as my brother, minus the permed mullet hairdo. Ever since that day, there hasn’t been a single bike I couldn’t ride.
Until now.
Engineers at Smarter Every Day have created a “backwards bike” – a regular bike that turns left when you pull the handlebars right, and right when you pull the handlebars left. On the surface, it sounds like a relatively simple concept to master, but watching this video, I gained a new appreciation for the limitations of my brain.
There are some important lessons here, especially for organizational leaders who are dealing with changes in their environment that may or may not require them to shift their way of doing business.
1. Own Your Bias – It is impossible to have an “unbiased opinion” when making decisions. No matter the situation, your experience subconsciously impacts your actions. Rather than hide your bias, openly share how your experience is influencing your decision making, and invite others to do the same.
2. Be Intentional – Leaders often achieve success by becoming experts in a particular way of thinking - to the point where their bias becomes unconscious. Unfortunately, when business conditions change, a mindset shift may be necessary. As painful as it sounds, this requires explicitly stating how your thinking must change, developing a new process, and applying conscious effort over time.
3. Practice Makes Permanent – Much like the backwards bike, leaders can eventually master a new mindset to the point where it becomes second nature. This requires regular practice without backsliding into the old way of thinking. Once mastered, leaders can flex back and forth by applying focused effort. And patience.
At LifeWork Associates, we have nearly two decades of experience helping our clients quickly identify the root cause of problems and implement effective solutions. And if your organization is just learning to “ride a bike” or hasn’t caught on to the “new way” to ride, give us a call. We'd love to help!
Smarter Every Day - http://www.smartereveryday.com
Backwards Bike Video Link - http://viewpure.com/MFzDaBzBlL0?ref=bkmk