Well, there is certainly a lot I could talk about tonight. Yesterday was May 4th, known as International Star Wars Day, "May the fourth be with you!" Today is Cinco de Mayo (literally, "the fifth of May"), which celebrates the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 (note that Cinco de Mayo does NOT coincide with the date on which Mexico gained its independence from Spain, contrary to popular belief). This past weekend, our family celebrated another graduation from college (Roll Tide!). And, I am frantically trying to finish off the day's "Move Log" on my Apple Watch (for the 44th day in a row - if you have to ask, check out "A Big Red X"). But I want to focus on an article I read this morning that appeared in yesterday's edition of the Wall Street Journal. It's by the author, Sam Walker (who wrote an excellent book called "The Captain Class") and is called "Sometimes 'genius' is just great management". The article is about the Brazilian Formula One racing car driver (and three-time World Champion), Ayrton Senna, who died 25 years ago this past Wednesday (May 1, 1994).
Senna wrote a book called "Principles of Race Driving" that purports to be about racing, but it is really about leadership and management. Unfortunately, my local library does not have a copy. Amazon has an old paperback copy available for a little under $1,650 (I don't think I could justify that purchase). One of the things that Senna said frequently really resonated with me. Apparently, there are three ways that race car drivers can approach a turn (remember - the goal is to get through the turn as quickly as possible). First, the driver can wait until the last possible instant to brake. Second, the driver can slow down at the entrance to the turn and choose the shortest, most direct line through the turn. The third method was the one that Senna used - he didn't worry about his entry speed or finding the best line. Rather, he focused on the exit and used to say, "Turn slow, exit fast." In other words, he focused on getting out of the turn as quickly as possible by focusing on the exit. Accelerate through the turn. Exit faster than you enter the turn.
What's the translation to leadership and management? Make decisions quickly by focusing on the execution of the decision. A leader will never have completely perfect information needed to make a perfect decision. The important lesson is that the leader shouldn't have to do so - get as much information as you need to make a decision quickly, and then execute. Avoid "paralysis by analysis" - don't over-analyze the decision. Just make one.
There's a lot to unpack there. Making decisions is not easy - it's probably one of the hardest things that a leader has to do well. But I like the concept here.
Unfortunately, things didn't work out so well for Senna in the end. He died - doing what he loved best (racing) - on May 1, 1994 while leading at the San Marino Grand Prix, his car crashed straight into a concrete retaining wall at speeds well over 145 mph, killing him almost instantly. Subsequent investigations indicated (though the exact cause is still disputed) that the crash occurred as a result of a catastrophic mechanical failure. Senna died living on the edge. He died while living his mantra. He died as one of the greatest Formula One drivers to ever live. "Turn slow, exit fast."
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