The Leadership Gearbox - When You Can't Find the Right Speed
The stick shift leader - five gears you need to know about
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Let me tell you about the time I learned to drive a stick shift. I’d always wanted one, but when I was a teenager, my dad flat-out refused to buy me a car with a manual transmission.
His reasoning? “Girls don’t need to be doing all that gear-jamming.”
So, I never learned how to drive one. But fast forward to when I bought my first car hundreds of miles away from home. I picked a Dodge Neon, which at the time had great reviews. Though, in hindsight, it was one of the biggest lemons ever sold.
I went to the car lot, completely clueless about negotiating, and the salesman said, “If I teach you how to drive it, do we have a deal?”
I was like, “Yeah, let’s do this. How hard can it be.”
So, he took me out and showed me the basics. But, honestly, it wasn’t enough and he ended up dropping it off at my house. I literally bought a car I couldn’t even drive home from the dealership.
At the time, I was living as a live-in nanny, and up the street from me was this huge hospital. I decided to go down there and practice. The hardest part with driving a stick shift is getting it into first gear. Once you get the hang of that, things flow a lot easier. I spent an hour just driving back and forth, practicing taking off to get comfortable without stalling out.
Did I mention that if you screw up the shift, you don’t just stall but you get whiplash and embarrassment in one glorious jerk forward.
Anyway, out of nowhere, a big van cuts me off, and two guys jump out.
One of them is holding a giant spotlight, and he’s like, “Is everything okay?”
I roll the window down and say, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
He asks what I’m doing, and I explain, “I just bought this car. It’s a stick shift, and I’m just practicing because I never drove one before.”
They start laughing, and one of them says, “We’ve been watching you for the last half hour, wondering what the heck you were doing.”
I’m sure everyone had a good laugh about that story once they got back inside.
Now, how does this relate to leadership? I’m about to get to that. And for the record, I bought two more manual transmissions after that car. Sorry Dad, you were wrong. Girls can gear jam and I loved every minute of it.
Finding your rhythm
Leadership is a lot like learning to master one of these bad boys. You don’t always know what you’re doing at first. It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but you have to jump in and learn. And, just like driving, it takes practice—lots of practice. You’re going to stall. You’re going to mess up.
But it’s all part of the process. You need to learn how to shift the gears and adjust based on the situation. At times you’re going to grind them, downshift too soon, and stall out even after years of driving one.
Remember, when you’re new to something, you’re in first gear, and everything feels slow and clunky. But with time and experience, you find your rhythm until one day you aren’t even thinking about it but just upshifting, downshifting and moving completely in sync.
Which of the following styles do you recognize?:
1️⃣ The "Neutral Gear" Leader
At the heart of the "Neutral Gear" leader is a tendency to avoid making decisions. Much like a car that idles in park, this leader does little more than coast along, waiting for circumstances to dictate the course of action. On the surface, this might seem like a low-maintenance style. After all, they’re not pushing too hard or causing any waves.
The problem arises, however, when this inaction leads to stagnation. The team gets frustrated, and goals remain unmet because the leader refuses to engage. While neutral gear can work in certain situations, it’s hardly a strategy for progress.
Take Tim Cook after he first took over Apple after Steve Jobs. Critics were quick to point out the lack of bold moves. He kept things steady and profitable, but a lot of people felt he was just riding on Jobs’ momentum. Same vibe with Gerald Ford stepping into the U.S. presidency after Nixon. (Remember Watergate? Feels pretty mild compared to what we’re dealing with now, doesn’t it.)
Anyway, Ford brought some calm to the chaos, but it was mostly a reactive kind of leadership. He wasn’t there to shake things up—just to keep the wheels from falling off. Both leaders brought stability in a pinch. But in those early stages, they were classic Neutral Gear with steady hands on the wheel. And no real push toward a new direction.
Leadership Tip: Neutral gear works when you’re parked, but not when you’re trying to get somewhere.
2️⃣ The "Cruise Control" Leader
The "Cruise Control" leader is the one who sets things in motion and then kicks back, assuming everything will stay smooth. They let the car coast, trusting the system, the people, and the processes to keep things running. While this can be an efficient approach, it assumes that everything will remain perfect and uninterrupted.
When the road suddenly takes a turn, or when unexpected obstacles appear, this leader often misses the cue. They might avoid micromanaging, but they also risk overlooking necessary adjustments in the face of change.
In The Office, Michael Scott is the perfect example of this style. When he's not causing chaos, Michael has moments where he genuinely believes things will just sort themselves out. He sets things in motion, often with more confidence than skill, then sits back and assumes the team will make it all work.
He trusts the system, mostly because he doesn’t fully understand it, and leans heavily on people like Jim, Pam, and especially Dwight to hold it all together.
Leadership Tip: Cruising’s easy, but eventually you’ll have to steer or risk crashing.
3️⃣ The "Reverse Gear" and “Handbrake” Leader
The "Reverse Gear" Leader and the "Handbrake Leader" share a similar issue: they’re both stuck in the past or trapped by fear, stubbornness, or resistance to change. The "Reverse Gear" leader can’t stop second-guessing decisions and replaying old failures, constantly retracing their steps rather than making new progress. They’re paralyzed by what’s already happened, which prevents them from moving forward.
The "Handbrake Leader" takes this a step further. They’re not just stuck looking back, they’re actively holding themselves back, unwilling to release the "handbrake" of fear, discomfort, or resistance to change. Whether out of stubbornness or a refusal to adapt, this leader creates a barrier to growth and progress.
They may offer stability, but they also stop everyone else from moving forward.
Years ago, I had a boss who was constantly pining for the 'good old days.' Whether it was work or personal life, she couldn't stop posting about things from 30 or 40 years ago—her first car, her kindergarten picture, and everything else in between. At work, she absolutely hated innovation and resisted anything new.
She was always the last to adopt technological changes, and when she finally did, it was with a lot of kicking and screaming. Working in that environment was incredibly challenging because any attempt at progress felt like a personal affront to her 'institutional knowledge.'
Leadership Tip: You can learn from the past, but sometimes you need to put it in drive and leave it behind. If you want to move forward, you’ve got to throw it out of park and release that handbrake.
4️⃣ The "Gear Jammer" Leader
The "Gear Jammer" leader is all over the place, shifting gears without any rhythm or purpose. They’re full of energy, constantly moving, but with little coordination or strategy. This chaotic approach leads to mistakes, confusion, and inefficiency. While they might be enthusiastic and innovative, their lack of planning often undermines their success.
It’s important to keep moving, but doing so without clear direction only leads to frustration and poor results.
I had a boss who would blow in at 9:00 a.m. like a freight train, calling meetings where she would spend most of the time using the word 'um' and saying yes to every request from other departments that came across her desk. She happily passed these requests along to her team, who was already overworked and teetering on the edge of complete burnout.
Once, in a meeting, I asked her what the goal was, and her response was, 'Um, I don’t know.' One day, we were swamped in the office, and I was asking a colleague a question in the room across the hall.
She caught my boss sneaking out the side door and said, “Is that Lisa leaving?'“
I peeked my head out and said, “Yes, yes it is.”
She looked at her watch and said, “It’s only 3:00, and we have an office full of people to help.”
Needless to say, less than a year later, her entire staff turned over. The constant tornadic winds, lack of direction, and whiplash shift in priorities wore everyone down. Without any clear leadership or planning, it was only a matter of time before the team couldn't take it anymore.
Leadership Tip: Fast is fine, but aim for smooth transitions because chaos won’t get you to the finish line.
5️⃣ The "Downshift-and-Reflect" Leader
Sometimes, the best leaders know when to slow down and reassess. The "Downshift-and-Reflect" leader is not someone who rushes into action without thinking. They know when to take a step back, pump the breaks, and think things through before making a move.
They understand that in times of crisis or uncertainty, pausing to reflect is often the best strategy. However, their caution can sometimes cause delays in making critical decisions.
Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany, exemplified this style. Her leadership was characterized by a pragmatic and thoughtful approach, particularly during significant events like the Eurozone debt challenges and the migrant crisis.
She valued long-term solutions over quick fixes, choosing to reflect and carefully consider the potential outcomes. This method earned her respect both in Germany and on the global stage.
Leadership Tip: Sometimes slowing down is the best way to get ahead.
Final Thoughts
Just like driving a stick shift, each leader operates in their own unique “gear.” Some leaders cruise along smoothly, while others might get stuck in reverse or spin their wheels without getting anywhere.
And then there’s that moment, like when you’re practicing in an empty parking lot. When you stall out, jerk forward, and suddenly, there’s a security guard with a spotlight on you asking, ‘Everything okay?’
© 2025 Bette A. Ludwig: All rights reserved
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I have had to learn how not to cruise but to make thoughtful, reflective decisions. I always liked stick shift, and my current car is the first automatic for me. Glad you shared, Bette! Happy Thursday.
Hi Bette, I think the metaphor of driving a stick is like so many things in life: Once you get it in first gear and rolling in the right direction, things become a LOT easier!
PS: I also had to learn how to drive a stick on the way home from the dealer lol