Why "Next Gear"?

Cyclists rely on gears.  All gears.

 

On one of my first training rides as a fledgling endurance cyclist, I was on a steep hill, about to stall.  My legs burning, my bike slowing, I struggled to stay upright.  The coach riding behind me said, “Kristi, shift again.  You have another gear!”

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If I try to shift, I will surely stall.  But it was shift….or fall.  So I shifted.

 

It worked. I was back in control. 

 

I understand now that I had the tools I needed all along.  I was just in the wrong gear.

 

We all wish he could get up every hill using sheer strength and force and determination.  “If I just push a little harder…”

 

Sometimes we need to be reminded that we have another gear.

 

In fact, we have a bunch of them.  Each one suited for a different challenge. Your “gears” are your talents.  The things that come most naturally to you. Knowing these, then developing your understanding of how to use them, is critical to your own success and fulfillment. True, we’re not all built for every hill.  But I’ve gotten up a lot of hills that used to seem impossible on a bike – using every gear I have.

 

Truth is, it took great coaches to teach me how to use the strength I have, and to help me build that strength. 

 

Leaders need help understanding their unique “gears”, and learning how to use them.  When to shift and how to shift.

 

Let Next Gear Consulting help you and your teams find a new gear. 

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-Kristi Marsella

March 2021