Leaders, Pay Attention To The Truckers!
When it comes to interstate traffic, the truckers are always in the know.
I found this out as a teenager when I purchased a CB radio for my car (I just dated myself). This was before the days where everyone had GPS and traffic information on their phones.
I enjoyed taking road trips to visit friends, so a CB radio seemed like a great thing to have along for the ride.
Looking back, the radio was great. The fact that I installed it in my bright red, 1991 Chevy Cavalier… well, let’s just say it didn’t exactly fit the ride.
But, I learned some things while riding on the interstate listening to that CB radio.
I noticed that when traffic was bad, due to an accident or road construction, the big, slow 18-wheelers always seemed to be in the correct lane to get where they needed to go before everyone else.
The impatient drivers that constantly changed lanes, guessing which one would be the best… well, they typically came in last place.
So, I started getting in the lanes the truckers were in because I knew they would lead me correctly.
Why Leaders Need The Truckers
You see, the truckers had some things going for them that I didn’t realize until I got that CB radio. First of all, they just had a better view of the highway. Because they were much higher up than my red Cavalier, they could see much farther down the road than I could.
Secondly, they communicated by radio with the other truckers ahead of them about where the traffic was originating from and what lane to be in to get through it the fastest.
There is a great life lesson here.
I am learning that on the interstate of life, there are some “truckers,” if you will, who just seem to have many of the answers for the situations that I go through. These folks have a much better view of the “road” because they’ve been there already.
Many times they are older and wiser individuals. They’ve seen the pitfalls of certain actions. They’ve seen what works and what hasn’t. They’ve experienced failures I’d like to avoid. They have wisdom from experiences that I don’t have.
I believe leaders should seek out and heed wise counsel. Not only to vet ideas, but to help recognize blind spots in our leadership and to keep us humble.
And while wisdom isn’t exactly a crystal ball… it IS a lot like a CB radio. And if you’ll turn it up and listen… you might just get where you’re going a lot sooner than you expect… with or without a red cavalier.
