Have you ever participated in leadership training? I’ve attended several and been asked to identify the kind of car that best describes who I am. “If you were a car, what brand would you be?” Most pick some cool sports car because it defines them as being classy, sleek and fast moving. Or, maybe because it’s well designed and draws a lot of attention. Others related better to a Jeep or Hummer because they are solid, hardworking types who can battle through anything thrown in their path. All I knew is that I liked to take on challenges, and that didn’t relate to any car I knew.
I have to admit I could never envision myself as a car, foreign or domestic, sporty or classic. I couldn’t identify one that I felt truly defined me as a person. Then, out of the blue one day, sitting in my doctor’s waiting room, my Ah-Ha! moment hit me. As is typical, I was passing that time period between arriving on time for your scheduled appointment and getting back to the examination room.
There I was, in a small space with hacking sick people and a collection of magazines that were several years old, when it happened. I was thumbing through beat up magazines, looking for an engrossing article without the end of the story ripped out so someone could save $0.25 on mouthwash. Then it happened: I finally found ME in an advertisement about a vehicle.
But, it wasn’t a car that I connected with, but rather, a railroad! The Union Pacific Railroad to be specific. The Union Pacific was running an extensive ad campaign on TV and in print about how their company had a long history in the development of our country, from coast to coast. There it was, in a four-color, two-page spread: a train barreling along a mountainside. The text read something like: Union Pacific — Taking on Challenges as Big as Mountains.
I knew immediately that was ME! I was like the Union Pacific Railroad, not some little car with four tires, a horn, trunk and a steering wheel. I never faced a challenge I didn’t like. The bigger, the better — taking on difficult challenges that seem insurmountable to others is just my cup of tea. It’s what makes my heart pump. Lots of details to review and analyze? Bring them on. Lots of levels to dig through looking for the best solutions, let me at them.
Loving challenges is part of my brand. It defines who I am and how I work with customers to give them the focus and direction they need to be successful. It’s what sets me apart. What kind of car are you — what sets you apart from your competitors? What about challenges? Do you enjoy taking on challenges to provide good service or products to your customers?
Come on, talk to us — tell us what kind of car you are, and why, in the Comment section below.
