#SUNDAYSTORIES | MOTHER NATURE & CHAOS
I thought of this one yesterday in the middle of a 46 mile + 5,344 ft of vert mountain bike ride w my husbabe.
From the start, Mother Nature was on a mission to create chaos in our ride.
Hot. Cold. Windy. Perfect. Gusting. Hotter than Hot. Freezing. Ideal. It was crazy and there were numerous stops for wardrobe changes. Word to the wise: in cycling you simply can't get sweaty and then cold and expect to keep going. It's a recipe for self-destruction.
Somewhere amid the stops I chuckled to myself about the parallel to being subjected to an undeserving person in a seat of leadership who reigns by creating chaos left and right.
You know the type. I've unfortunately worked for that type - more than once.
They "lead" by creating chaos on the daily. Staff are subjected to their ever changing whim and emotion. The "Leader's" temperment is about as reliable as the way the wind is blowing in any moment on a stormy day.
Mother Nature is wild and unpredictable and humans are in Her path of destruction.
A false "Leader" operating that way in business is too, and staff, clients and customers are in their path of destruction.
Here's the thing: In riding we surely can't control Mother Nature, and in work we surely can't control the type of person who operates without a moral compass.
In riding and in work what we can do is gear up w the resources we have access to - protect our peace - get the hell out of their path of destruction - and seek shelter or higher ground when possible.
Staying in the eye of the storm in either scenario is pretty unacceptable. We deserve better than that.
Let me acknowledge that none of us is perfect. We must repeatedly look in the mirror and ask ourselves honestly if we are operating in a productive or chaotic way. Are we opening doors and paving a path forward or are we slamming doors shut and leaving a path of destruction?!