Bike Analogy
I recent heard and analogy of how a bike is like management and leadership. I wanted to share that with you and leave you with some thoughts.
The rear wheel is like management – it gets the job done. It is what pushes the bike forward and is driven forward, or in other words – results happen from other parts of the bike – the pedals, the crank, the chain, the brakes, the burrs, the shifters, etc. In summary, management is about moving forward and getting things done through others.
The front wheel is leadership. It turns or shifts the direction of the bike based on a number of factors. The front wheel is critical to ensure you and your team (the entire bike and all of its components) get to where the goal is (the vision). There are significantly less parts on the front wheel that help guide the direction of the bike versus the driving wheel which has a lot of components to make it work and work efficiently. The front wheel is again critical to results or reaching the destination.
If you are a manager, keep strong and consistent. If you are a leader, provide a clear direction where you are heading and have a memorable journey.
