Equip. [ih-kwip] verb. to provide appropriate provisions, resources, and preparations for performance or action.
A lot can be learned about leadership in the dojo.
To be a world class martial artist, you must be equipped with flexibility. Among other things, it allows you to deliver a devastating and lightning-fast kick to your opponent’s head.
That’s why, about 11 years ago, on a slow and plodding journey to black belt, I bought a stretcher. I knew that at 32 years old, I was not going to become a world class martial artist. But I aspired to get as close as I could. I had good motivation: It doesn’t take receiving very many kicks to the head before you wish you could kick to the head too.
To use this piece of equipment, which resembles a medieval torture device, you strap your legs in and then crank a wheel a little further each day, each week, until you’ve reached your goal of a full split – which brings with it the ability to deliver that devastating kick.
Similar to the martial arts world, to be a leader in your dealership, you need to be equipped with a kind of flexibility. In the 18-month Leadership Development Program offered by Spader Business Management, the word David Spader uses is “adaptability” – not exactly the same as flexibility, but a close cousin.
David goes so far as to call adaptability “the single best predictor of our sustained individual and organizational success.”
So, dealership leaders, are you equipped with adaptability? Well, there are two prerequisites. One, a desire to adapt. And two, a willingness to feel the discomfort of doing things differently.
If you have that desire and that willingness, the MRAA has a lot to offer you. We’ve partnered with leading educators – people like David Spader – to develop a wealth of training resources, tools and courses to help you improve and grow in this fast-changing market.
In fact, one of the central themes of our upcoming conference – the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo – is future-proofing: looking forward to what’s coming toward us to minimize the shocks and stresses of the change ahead, so we can maximize our success. There’s no better place to gain insight into adapting yourself, your department and your dealership to the evolution of our customer and our industry.
In the end, I’ve learned that adaptability is, in fact, more important than its cousin, flexibility. A few weeks into the use of my torture device, I landed in the doctor’s office. Turns out my hips were not made to flex like that, much to my chagrin, and my attempts to try actually chipped a piece of bone off the edge of my hip socket.
The doctor gave me a choice: Pick another sport or stop trying to kick to the head. Needless to say, I love martial arts. I wasn’t going to pick another sport. So, instead of relying on flexibility, I’ve equipped myself with another martial arts skill. Hint: Watch out for my hook.
What new skills are you and your team developing to adapt to the changes taking place under your roof and in your boating community? Share them with us in the comments or at the MDCE in December. See you there!