INSPIRED BY A BIKE!

Anyone who knows me will know I struggle with cycling – as much as I love sport and the great outdoors the ability to develop the specific leg muscles required  to power the pedals, the desire to wear luminescent shades of lycra and the will power to venture further than a couple of miles along the local river paths still eludes me.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my bike – it has earned a special place in my home (alongside my unicycle!), has been enhanced with some highly desirable technological gadgets and accessories, has been perfectly maintained and tuned by my mountain-biking enthusiast son but, despite all this, its shiny paintwork and lack of scratches and obvious signs of wear and tear is perfect testimony to its distinct  lack of use!

I was very fortunate in the past week to meet with a group of very aspiring people, many of whom have worked closely alongside senior executives in blue chip companies and/or athletes working in the highest levels of sport.  But I was also privileged to meet an aspiring cyclist who, whilst working as a senior manager for a very well-known company, is working passionately hard as an athlete to hone his skills and experience to achieve his goal of winning a professional race whilst also becoming a fully qualified scuba diving instructor and skiing instructor.  The passion he exudes for his sport will drive his ability to succeed.

So what is a bike?  Well as everyone knows, bike is an abbreviation for bicycle.  In simple terms, Wikipedia defines a bicycle as follows – A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other.  A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist or bicyclist.

But a bike is, in reality, so much more than this – it is potentially a very powerful machine made up of many component parts, all finely tuned and, when powered by the rider, is propelled forward in a specific direction and at a speed determined by the rider.  There are of course many varieties of bike and varying qualities of component parts – for example the decision to buy a Truvativ Hammerschmidt  FR chainset as opposed to a simple Elektra Classic crank will be determined by the type of bike and its purpose, the particular desire and attitude of the rider and also the disposable budget available.  However, ultimately the performance of the bike depends on the synergy between all the component parts, the rider and the support team around.

When thinking about a bike, the first thing that comes to mind for me is the wheel – a strong hub surrounded by a myriad of spokes emanating from the hub outwards towards the rim and tyre.  One hub but lots of spokes.  So what is more important – the hub, the spokes or the rim/tyre?  In reality they are all equally important and the wheel ceases to be functional in the absence of one of these elements.  The hub is the strongest component in terms of inherent strength but the wheel cannot exist without the spokes, each of which must be accurately positioned – one damaged or missing spoke weakens the structure of the whole wheel and hence increases the risk of damaging the rim and reducing the overall performance and ride of the bike.

A bike is synonymous with a business.  Everyone has an important part to play within an organisation.  A visionary leader or CEO sets the course – like a cyclist, he will determine the direction he wants the business to go in and the speed he wants the business to attain its targets.  In consultation with his management team, he will determine the race and pedal his team towards the finish line.   Powerful nurturing, continual review and investment in his team (maintaining and oiling all the component parts of his bicycle and enhancing the performance with technological advancements as they become available) will develop the core strengths and overall performance of the entire business.  Success starts from within – the desire and passion coupled with the ability to set realistic goals and the determination to achieve them.

Bev James (author of Do It or Ditch It) stated recently that “Life is like a 10-speed bike – most of us have gears we never use”.   Bicycle gears or gear ratio refers to the rate at which a cyclist’s legs need to turn compared to the rate at which the wheel turns.  Generally lower gears require the rider to pedal at a faster speed or cadence but with less force whereas higher gears conversely provide a higher speed for a given cadence but the rider will need to exert a greater force.  Different terrain and rider preferences will most likely determine the selection of gear, but unless you are a seasoned cyclist, it is highly probable you (like me) will select just a very small selection of gears which enable you to continue to ride within your comfort zone and if you are really like me, when a hill comes along, you may even be tempted to get off the bike all together! 

The same is true in every business, whether a new start-up or a well-established corporate enterprise.  There are many ascents to climb, tour stages to attain, competition for the inside track, periods when we can freewheel and take advantage of the slipstream in the peloton and even times when the temptation to backpedal is overwhelming.  With coaching, support and training we improve our knowledge and fitness and may just experiment using a different gear and working at a different level….

Sound familiar?  Yes, because life in general is the same too!

Each one of us experiences success, frustration and disappointment in both our personal lives and business but at all times we continue to have choices.  We choose to lead or we choose who it is we want to follow.  Everyone is important and together we become stronger by playing a part in a bigger picture – each cog interacts with another to increase/decrease the torque to overcome obstacles along the way and hence allow us all to move forward with greater power, speed and energy to cross the finish line.

A bike (group, family, business) needs a competent rider (leader, parent, CEO) for direction and a solid support team (coach, friends, suppliers) to achieve its goal – the energy of the collective sparks the dynamo and illuminates the finish line. 

We cross the finish line together and congratulate the team mindful that, although one race is now behind us, in life and work there will always be another race to run!

TODAY I HIT THE WALL!

Have you ever had that feeling?  Woken up and your first thoughts are to snuggle back down under the covers and shut out the world.....

The proverbial wall - the pressure or stress of work - too much to do, not enough support, unrealistic expectations, not enough time.....

Indoor climbing is all about facing up to your wall.  Take a step back, look at the wall, plan your ascent, discuss and share your route with your partner, check you are secure and clipped on to your rope, grasp your first hold, step up and reach for the top!  Climbing is for everyone - take a trip to your local climbing centre and you will see people of all shapes and sizes, all walks of life and all ages and perhaps most surprisingly all levels of fitness (or unfitness!) - it is a friendly community which embraces everyone who has that one goal in life - to step up and aim for something which is out of reach! 

So what if we hit the wall and do not know where to start?  The key here is to not give up - even a small effort is a step closer to the end goal.  Better to try than regret not trying later....

So what if the wall is too big or just too difficult to even contemplate?  Look around you - who can help?  Everyone needs a safety rope, something to fall back on, somewhere to rest and draw breath. We all slip, trip and fall at times but that's a good sign!  That means we are trying!  Occasionally we fall but do so in the knowledge and security we are attached to a supportive partner at the end of a rope!  We may drop off the wall but in reality we are not going anywhere - suddenly we feel the rope tighten and we know the slack has been taken up until we find the strength and determination to have another go! 

Brings a whole new meaning to being "on the edge" - why not step off and put your faith in those around you who want the best for you?  Soon you will be looking back down to where you started and realise just how far you have come in such a short time!

Never say never - if at first you don't succeed, work out where you went wrong and then have another go!  Today is always the best day to start!

SUMMIT INSPIRATION CAN HELP DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD

Only armchair politicians are immune from committing mistakes.  Errors are inherent in political action.  Those who are in the centre of political struggle, who have to deal with practical and pressing problems, are afforded little time for reflection and no precedents to guide them and are bound to slip up many times.  But in due course, and provided they are flexible and prepared to examine their work self critically, they will acquire the necessary experience and foresight that will enable them to avoid the ordinary pitfalls and pick out their way ahead amidst the throb of events.

(Nelson Mandela - an excerpt from an unpublished manuscript)

Nelson Mandela is referring specifically to the dark and murky world of politics but the same can be said to apply to all business owners and managers.

Anyone starting out in business or new to the world of managing must be prepared to scale a very steep learning curve.  It can be a very fulfilling and exciting experience to create a start-up or plan to expand an already existing business - however it is also a time which can fill the budding entrepreneur with fear and bewilderment as they seek to grapple with developing their business concept whilst finding the additional time necesary to commit to assessing business drivers and the onerous task of controlling operations - record-keeping, budgeting and forecasting, financing, human resources, PR and marketing, IT support and infrastructure, procurement and a multitude of legal and compliance issues.....

Many business owners lack relevant business and management expertise  - recognition of what they do well and what they don't is paramount!  Failure to recognise weaknesses and knowledge gaps may result in business failure.

Successful business owners are self-critical, strategic thinkers, able to make a vision a reality, capable of confronting change and making transitions and can envision future potential.  But all business owners and leaders once started at the bottom of the ladder with just a vision and the passion, patience and determination to learn and suceed.  They recognised the need to seek help and support to gain footholds on the higher rungs.  The old adage "failure is not an option" is translated into "success is attributed to building on earlier failures and climbing the learning curve". 

Build your business with sound planning and a strong infrastructure.  Mistakes are inevitable but can be minimised by focusing on the basics and getting them right consistently. 

Summit Inspiration can help drive your business forward - time invested at the outset will reap rewards later and will allow your business to focus on why it was set up in the first place!

LEADERS

To lead people, walk beside and among them.....

Have you noticed how there are four types of leaders who achieve results:

• Leaders who are hated (bullies and dictators, often narrow-minded or closed in their thinking)
• Leaders who are feared (marginally better than the above - albeit they are often respected for their hard work or position, they do not 'connect' with the workforce)
• Leaders who are honoured and praised (positive role models who are trusted and respected by their colleagues for their achievements, involvement and support)

and finally, the BEST leaders.....

The best leaders are the ones who create positivity, define the focus and empower each individual to work to their full potential - they work alongside everyone to inspire teamwork and collaboration.  When the job is done and the goal has been achieved, the team will proudly proclaim they did it themselves!

Great leaders work hard and motivate others by their enthusiasm and encouragement - they communicate well, plan and organize, have strong personal management skills, can learn, think and be creative and above all are capable of making informed decisions.  They use all their resourses well, have the ability to truly listen and adapt, possess great determination and seek to develop and maximise the potential of all those around them.

The relentless pursuit of fulfillment and perfection is in many of us and this drives some of us to become great leaders by aspiration.  However true leaders never let go of their own integrity and humility - they always remember and reflect on the starting point of the journey and all the hurdles along the way.  They both understand and recognize the fear of stepping 'outside the comfort zone' but know that the following will always remain true for everyone in all walks of life:

"No matter what our level of ability, we all have more potential than we can ever develop in a lifetime"

COMING SOON!

Summit Inspiration.....

A new approach to succeeding in business and finding fulfilment in life

Be passionate about everything you do and ignite the fire within - everyone deserves a chance to succeed

Review your business, define your goals, live life to the full and make a big difference!