As many of you may know, many of us at Zobito love our bikes. In fact, last year we did a team building event in Tuscany by bike. Riding a bike does more than get you from point A to point B. It is part of who we are and contributes to our quality of life as well as to our social economy. Did you know that for every kilometer cycled, society enjoys a net profit of 23 cents, whereas for every kilometer driven by car we suffer a net loss of 16 cents? A bike is also a great metaphor for reaching your goals in business. In a great article by the Culture University on the bike as a metaphor for leadership, author Tom Crane explains how (http://www.cultureuniversity.com/the-art-of-leadership-riding-a-bicycle) the different parts of the bike contribute to getting a company where it wants to go:
- The Seat is the place where leadership operates, steering and empowering your organization.
- The Frame represents structured communication paths that connect people, ensuring that the one hand knows what the other is doing.
- The Handlebars symbolize strategy and need to be firmly grasped to give direction to the rest of the team. The back tires represent the traction that you get from good talent on board, with the spokes of that wheel representing various types of coaching and training.
- The Pedals are connected by the chain to the sprocket of the back wheel and represent energy transference throughout the organization.
- And the tire of the front wheel sets your course with customer focus, vision, mission, core values, etc…
At Zobito we agree that you need it all. Every part of the bicycle is essential to getting us where we want to go – as an organization and as bicycle enthusiasts. The sun is starting to shine, the road beckons. The time has come to get on your bike. By the way as Crane rightly mentions, once we learn to ride a bike, we never forget!