Motorcycle Wreck and Mirror Checks
THE WRECK
I hopped on my motorcycle and headed to work. Just a normal day. Light traffic. Sunshine.
As I was heading north on Liberty Road, I noticed a car pulled off to the right, tucked into a driveway cut-out. I slowed to 35 MPH and eased over to the far left edge of the single lane to pass them safely as I approached the roundabout.
Just as I was passing the parked car, they quickly pulled out and swerved into me.
No turn signal.
No mirror check.
No concern but their destination.
Behind that windshield was a person in too much of a hurry to see who was already there.
I swerved hard to avoid a worse collision, hit the curb in the roundabout at the exact wrong angle, and the bike went tumbling. It bounced off to the right from the impact, and I went airborne straight ahead.
I flew through the air and slammed into a yield sign. The full force of my body hit square at the belt line. I wrapped around it like someone had hurled a wet rag.
In significant pain, on the hot concrete, and still wrapped around the yield sign post, I did a quick mental checklist.
Head injury? Somehow, nope.
Abdominal bruising? Yep.
Blood everywhere? Definitely.
I was shredded with road rash.
My feet were torn up, too.
Why? Because I was in my usual motorcycle riding gear: sunglasses, a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals…with no helmet.
STUPID, I know!
But I didn’t tell you all that just to document my poor decisions about riding equipment. I told you because of what happened next.
The car that caused the wreck…didn't stop. They drove away from the scene as if nothing happened.
That driver almost certainly went to work, went home, sat on the couch, and streamed a sitcom with a laugh track. Then went to bed with a clear conscience.
I’m telling you this story because in my leadership I have made the mistakes of the driver who ran me off the road.
CHECK YOUR DOOR MIRROR
One of the easiest mistakes for leaders to make is assuming that because we are ready to move, the lane must be clear. But there may be people in that lane moving in directions that made perfect sense five minutes before we had our brilliant new idea.
So before we hit the gas, we check the mirror.
Who is already in that lane at our quarter panel? A three-second glance sideways can save us from creating a three-month mess.
USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL EARLIER
Turn signals exist because the people around us cannot read our minds. They do not know that we are considering restructuring a team, moving someone to a new role, changing a schedule, or suddenly taking the whole organization through a roundabout.
Leaders usually know where we intend to go long before everyone else does. We spend so much time thinking about the needed change that it creates the illusion in our minds that everyone else sees the need for the change.
They don’t.
Signaling early means starting conversations early. Give people enough time to understand the change we’re considering, why it matters, and give their input. If it feels like we are communicating the turn a little earlier than necessary, we are probably about right.
CHECK YOUR REARVIEW MIRROR
Once we make the turn, glance in the rearview mirror. Not because we need to go backward. We don’t. But every once in a while, we need to make sure nobody is lying in the intersection behind us, wrapped around a yield sign.
We leaders can make a decision, move on to the next thing, and assume everybody else moved with us. Most of the time they do. Other times, some are still trying to figure out what just happened.
So after a major decision, change, or transition, look back. Ask a few questions. Check on people.
THEN PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS
Leadership is not driving twenty miles an hour with both hands locked on the steering wheel, checking every mirror every three seconds, terrified that somewhere within a five-mile radius somebody might be uncomfortable.
Mirror awareness will make us better leaders, not second-guessers. The person who caused my motorcycle wreck reminded me: Check our quarter panel. Signal our move early. Glance behind us to see if all is well. Then keep leading to the destination.
The goal is to arrive at the destination with as many people as possible still traveling with us and no one wrapped around a yield sign because of our quick move.
THE DRIVER I'LL NEVER MEET
I hold no grudge against that driver. I really don't. I just wish they'd looked in the mirror before pulling out into my lane.
Often, somebody we can’t see is closer to our decision than we realize.
Note: My wreck was in May 2022. I’m just now getting around to writing about it. The bike below is the same model as mine, but it’s not my actual bike. I never got a photo at the scene.
