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.
I've had my automatic for about 8 years now and I love the vehicle itself. But I do miss my previous cars. I just needed something a bit more substantial driving in MI winters.
And thanks so much for the re-stack Hans - really appreciate it. TGIF tomorrow :)
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
Yep, I agree with that, Mack—just getting out of park and neutral is half the battle. And kudos to you for actually driving it home! I, on the other hand, was not so lucky. They’re a lot harder to learn than you’d think!
The part where you bought a car you couldn't even drive off the lot. That's leadership in its purest form. Deciding you'll figure it out because you have to.
I have seen another poor style of leadership.
Let's call him Chad the "backseat driver"
Chad is an "expert" who critiques every move but hasn't touched a gearshift in years. 🤣🤣🤣
Either that or pure idiocy—I'm not sure which. Although I loved my manual transmissions and I miss having one now. They’re really fun to drive—at least I thought so. But yeah, having a car you can’t even drive home is next level crazy, and it’s a lot harder than you’d think. Hats off to anyone who can learn in a couple of hours and feel comfortable driving on a busy roadway. And yes, there's definitely Chad, the backseat driver.
And thanks for the restack my friend :) TGIF tomorrow!!!
I think it's like riding a bike. It might take a couple minutes but they're pretty easy to get back into. The hardest part is building up that leg muscle for the clutch! 😂
When I was in high school driver’s ed we had a manual shift school car. Everyone hated the hill test where we had to stop half way up and then go without coasting backwards.
Love this article. I think you are into a powerful metaphor that could be turned into a very useful diagnosis / prognosis tool.
But I also laughed.
“Yeah, let’s do this. How hard can it be.” A very common human trait.
“We’ve been watching you for the last half hour, wondering what the heck you were doing.” A great response. But took them 28.5 minutes to turn curiosity to action
It’s a funny story David - you can laugh. I’m sure they were dying watching me with my hurky jerky take offs and stalling out. The only reason they came out was because a shift of nurses was about to clock out. Otherwise, they probably would have continued watching with some popcorn.
It would be a powerful title for an ebook/book I think. If you haven’t read this article by Gustavo, it’s fabulous. He is writing a book and I think these are pieces and parts of it he’s publishing on here.
It was a great personal story, that yields powerful metaphor that could stand more things added to it. I think you could break it down finer for instance to include people who do really well at shifting and various types of shifting right up to race car drivers. So you might end up with eight or 10 categories that would be meaningful. I really wanted more on examples from each of the categories of real leaders. And like I said you could put together a prognosis based upon a diagnosis: are you a reverse gear driver here’s a bunch of things to figure out whether you are and there’s a bunch of things that you can do to get out of reverse.
Yes! That's exactly what I was thinking. I've made some other questionnaires that I have on my website for people that they can download for free. I love putting those together.
Because Manus is a an amalgamation of a bunch of underlying AI products put together with some interesting coding. It does a lot of stuff on its own after it clarifies your requirements. Much more than other AI tools that really are one task at a time Tools. I have started doing a one hour a week with another person on Substack where we talk about what we’re going to do and then work quietly and focused for an hour and that’s what I did this morning. Completely unstructured research it’s less good at And I’m suspicious that it findings are definitive on other things I asked it to do but they are reasonable . But I have some very well laid out questionnaires and its supposed to be great at generating websites from them
I will have to think about this because I could easily turn it into an eBook. Each leader type it’s own short chapter. This is a really good idea David - Thank You :)
Be great for a good e-book surrounded by some other stuff. I just started experimenting with an AI product that generates questionnaires and websites quite well. I’ll let you know how it turns out because I’m doing something similar which is a readiness assessment for starting your own business primarily consulting. People love doing questionnaires so you could have an assessment to say what gear are you stuck in and then cross cross sell to ebook
Hey Chris - thanks for stopping by! I had fun writing this one esp my stick shift learning to drive moment. It’s funny how you can find leadership lessons in everything if you look! Enjoy your Sunday :)
1. I too learned on a stick and it was temporary misery. Once, when downshifting and also trying to brake, I hit a metal trashcan in front of our house. My dad, often impatient, showed incredible restraint.
2. I'm sorry, really, I am, I laughed so hard at the dad-like attitude of “Girls don’t need to be doing all that gear-jamming.” I'm sure that upsets a lot of women readers. Old (male) heads!
3. To be fair to anyone learning, not all gearboxes are the same. Some are MUCH EASIER than others to operate.
4. That car salesman was a predator and sleaze!
5. Outstanding piece. Vivid and clear. The infographic was dynamite too.
#1 – Temporary misery—yes, 100%. You know what’s funny? I feel like everyone has a car story, but people who learned on a stick shift always have an elevated version somehow.
Dads do tend to show a little more restraint with new drivers. Even mine did… for about a second! lol
#2 – And yes, you can laugh at that line. The subtext was clear: “Women drivers aren’t great to begin with, so let’s not add any more distractions.” Sorry, Dad. But I got the last laugh there.
#3 – You’re so right: some stick shifts are just easier to learn on. That makes a huge difference.
#4 – Thank you for saying that. I didn’t even get into it in the post, but you're absolutely right. He took full advantage of how naïve I was. Probably went on a whole vacation with that commission. But I learned. The next time around? The salesman literally called off the negotiation mid-way, said he needed the car re-checked. I ended up getting a great deal. Fool me once...
1. "for about a second." lol. So true about everyone has a car story, or so it seems.
2. My dad used to say something similar about "women drivers" even though he had no daughters. I'd always say, "mom is a woman, dad."
3. That you learned and I'm sure so many women had to and have how to negotiate with car salesmen, is what matters. Years ago, this guy taught me, "You teach people how to treat you." Same goes for business interactions. It was good to hear that you were in charge of the negotiation next time around. Secret: guys too have to learn to negotiate better. We have bad experiences as well.
Love the metaphor Bette, sticking with the car but moving away from gears.
The backstreet driver. Tells you to get something done, they don't care how. Then criticises every move you make saying "I wouldn't have done it like that, but if you're sure you're happy."
Like if you want me to do it a certain way, say so!
As I've gotten older my knees appreciate the automatic more and more - I just want to give my passengers a smooth and safe ride and end up at the cafe before the rush hour begins
You know, it's funny because for the longest time after I bought my automatic, I’d gotten so used to using a clutch that I’d constantly go to press it down before starting the car. It’s crazy how automatic that process becomes! Sometimes, I'd reach for the stick and then realize, ‘Oh wait, no clutch here!’ I do miss it though—manuals were a lot of fun to drive. But you’re right, an automatic is definitely easier.
OMG yes the hills with a stick are the worst, esp when they are steep. I have to admit, I don't miss that aspect having an automatic now. But I do miss my manual transmissions. They were fun.
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.
I've had my automatic for about 8 years now and I love the vehicle itself. But I do miss my previous cars. I just needed something a bit more substantial driving in MI winters.
And thanks so much for the re-stack Hans - really appreciate it. TGIF tomorrow :)
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
Yep, I agree with that, Mack—just getting out of park and neutral is half the battle. And kudos to you for actually driving it home! I, on the other hand, was not so lucky. They’re a lot harder to learn than you’d think!
Your article is on point Bette.
The part where you bought a car you couldn't even drive off the lot. That's leadership in its purest form. Deciding you'll figure it out because you have to.
I have seen another poor style of leadership.
Let's call him Chad the "backseat driver"
Chad is an "expert" who critiques every move but hasn't touched a gearshift in years. 🤣🤣🤣
Happy Thursday to you.
Either that or pure idiocy—I'm not sure which. Although I loved my manual transmissions and I miss having one now. They’re really fun to drive—at least I thought so. But yeah, having a car you can’t even drive home is next level crazy, and it’s a lot harder than you’d think. Hats off to anyone who can learn in a couple of hours and feel comfortable driving on a busy roadway. And yes, there's definitely Chad, the backseat driver.
And thanks for the restack my friend :) TGIF tomorrow!!!
It’s been a good Friday thus far Bette.
I drove manual in Trinidad - not many automatic cars back then.
Don’t ask me to drive it now lol
I think it's like riding a bike. It might take a couple minutes but they're pretty easy to get back into. The hardest part is building up that leg muscle for the clutch! 😂
Great analogy and so accurate.
When I was in high school driver’s ed we had a manual shift school car. Everyone hated the hill test where we had to stop half way up and then go without coasting backwards.
Love this article. I think you are into a powerful metaphor that could be turned into a very useful diagnosis / prognosis tool.
But I also laughed.
“Yeah, let’s do this. How hard can it be.” A very common human trait.
“We’ve been watching you for the last half hour, wondering what the heck you were doing.” A great response. But took them 28.5 minutes to turn curiosity to action
It’s a funny story David - you can laugh. I’m sure they were dying watching me with my hurky jerky take offs and stalling out. The only reason they came out was because a shift of nurses was about to clock out. Otherwise, they probably would have continued watching with some popcorn.
It would be a powerful title for an ebook/book I think. If you haven’t read this article by Gustavo, it’s fabulous. He is writing a book and I think these are pieces and parts of it he’s publishing on here.
https://substack.com/@gustavorazzetti/note/p-160936132?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=2j5gc0
It was a great personal story, that yields powerful metaphor that could stand more things added to it. I think you could break it down finer for instance to include people who do really well at shifting and various types of shifting right up to race car drivers. So you might end up with eight or 10 categories that would be meaningful. I really wanted more on examples from each of the categories of real leaders. And like I said you could put together a prognosis based upon a diagnosis: are you a reverse gear driver here’s a bunch of things to figure out whether you are and there’s a bunch of things that you can do to get out of reverse.
Yes! That's exactly what I was thinking. I've made some other questionnaires that I have on my website for people that they can download for free. I love putting those together.
I’ll let you know whether i think Manus is a good tool to do this. I’m just trying it out and it is pretty good as a digital AI agent
Yes, definitely let me know. I've been using ChatGPT to create them and then sometimes I have to do a little formatting but it's usually not too much
Because Manus is a an amalgamation of a bunch of underlying AI products put together with some interesting coding. It does a lot of stuff on its own after it clarifies your requirements. Much more than other AI tools that really are one task at a time Tools. I have started doing a one hour a week with another person on Substack where we talk about what we’re going to do and then work quietly and focused for an hour and that’s what I did this morning. Completely unstructured research it’s less good at And I’m suspicious that it findings are definitive on other things I asked it to do but they are reasonable . But I have some very well laid out questionnaires and its supposed to be great at generating websites from them
I will have to think about this because I could easily turn it into an eBook. Each leader type it’s own short chapter. This is a really good idea David - Thank You :)
Be great for a good e-book surrounded by some other stuff. I just started experimenting with an AI product that generates questionnaires and websites quite well. I’ll let you know how it turns out because I’m doing something similar which is a readiness assessment for starting your own business primarily consulting. People love doing questionnaires so you could have an assessment to say what gear are you stuck in and then cross cross sell to ebook
How surprising to find leadership styles in a gear box. We should have a look on other tools made for humans and marvel together.
Hey Chris - thanks for stopping by! I had fun writing this one esp my stick shift learning to drive moment. It’s funny how you can find leadership lessons in everything if you look! Enjoy your Sunday :)
1. I too learned on a stick and it was temporary misery. Once, when downshifting and also trying to brake, I hit a metal trashcan in front of our house. My dad, often impatient, showed incredible restraint.
2. I'm sorry, really, I am, I laughed so hard at the dad-like attitude of “Girls don’t need to be doing all that gear-jamming.” I'm sure that upsets a lot of women readers. Old (male) heads!
3. To be fair to anyone learning, not all gearboxes are the same. Some are MUCH EASIER than others to operate.
4. That car salesman was a predator and sleaze!
5. Outstanding piece. Vivid and clear. The infographic was dynamite too.
#1 – Temporary misery—yes, 100%. You know what’s funny? I feel like everyone has a car story, but people who learned on a stick shift always have an elevated version somehow.
Dads do tend to show a little more restraint with new drivers. Even mine did… for about a second! lol
#2 – And yes, you can laugh at that line. The subtext was clear: “Women drivers aren’t great to begin with, so let’s not add any more distractions.” Sorry, Dad. But I got the last laugh there.
#3 – You’re so right: some stick shifts are just easier to learn on. That makes a huge difference.
#4 – Thank you for saying that. I didn’t even get into it in the post, but you're absolutely right. He took full advantage of how naïve I was. Probably went on a whole vacation with that commission. But I learned. The next time around? The salesman literally called off the negotiation mid-way, said he needed the car re-checked. I ended up getting a great deal. Fool me once...
#5 – Really appreciate that. Thank you.
1. "for about a second." lol. So true about everyone has a car story, or so it seems.
2. My dad used to say something similar about "women drivers" even though he had no daughters. I'd always say, "mom is a woman, dad."
3. That you learned and I'm sure so many women had to and have how to negotiate with car salesmen, is what matters. Years ago, this guy taught me, "You teach people how to treat you." Same goes for business interactions. It was good to hear that you were in charge of the negotiation next time around. Secret: guys too have to learn to negotiate better. We have bad experiences as well.
Good for you. Hopefully it made your dad think a little! And you're right, it doesn't matter what gender you are you can have bad experiences 😊
Love the metaphor Bette, sticking with the car but moving away from gears.
The backstreet driver. Tells you to get something done, they don't care how. Then criticises every move you make saying "I wouldn't have done it like that, but if you're sure you're happy."
Like if you want me to do it a certain way, say so!
Glad you liked it!
And yes, I've worked with some of those in my lifetime. Neela called him Chad the backseat driver in the comments 😂
As I've gotten older my knees appreciate the automatic more and more - I just want to give my passengers a smooth and safe ride and end up at the cafe before the rush hour begins
You know, it's funny because for the longest time after I bought my automatic, I’d gotten so used to using a clutch that I’d constantly go to press it down before starting the car. It’s crazy how automatic that process becomes! Sometimes, I'd reach for the stick and then realize, ‘Oh wait, no clutch here!’ I do miss it though—manuals were a lot of fun to drive. But you’re right, an automatic is definitely easier.
OMG yes the hills with a stick are the worst, esp when they are steep. I have to admit, I don't miss that aspect having an automatic now. But I do miss my manual transmissions. They were fun.