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Rolling with the Zen of Bowling

 

 

There are countless books, guides, and seminars on leading and being a leader. While the world needs people who can and will lead, chaos would ensue if everyone decided to be the leader. The fact is that 99.9% of leaders are also followers. Almost everyone has a “boss,” and everyone I know is accountable to someone, whether that person is a formal authority, a mentor, or just a respected colleague. We are even more accountable to those who depend on us—children, parents, partners, employees, or even pets. I’m sure you get the picture!

 

99.9% of leaders are also followers. Almost everyone has a “boss,” and everyone I know is accountable to someone.

 

To be clear, there are times and situations where we will be leading and directing but it will inevitably be in the context of following.  We all need to be good followers. We must have a purpose and direction, and we must follow it. Most of the time, we will have someone we must fall in step behind; other times, we will be in lockstep with a fellow sojourner. Almost always, there will be someone behind us needing encouragement, an example, or the simple comfort that they’re not the first to journey this path. And in those times where you must break new ground, you may not be following a person but a principle, a goal, or your integrity.

 

If you find yourself following a person, be sure you know where they are going. Be sure you know who they are following. Continue this inquiry until there is no one being followed but that principle, goal, or ideal. If it is worthy of your energy, embrace the opportunity to be a competent follower; if it is not, consider an alternate direction, following a better ideal.

 

While the concepts that will proceed from here may not be new, my hope is that the brief, compact descriptions of many principles explained through metaphor will be memorable. You will see that facing the challenges of being a follower in any situation is a valuable endeavor. I hope you can be courageous when it is time to be the follower that is needed.

 

 

Bring in the Bowling Metaphor

What comes to mind when you think about going bowling? Noisy lanes, rental shoes, fun times with family and friends, frustration, sanitizing bowling balls, weird-shaped finger holes, strikes and splits, gutter balls, arcades, spilled beer, polished wood floors, league nights, birthday parties with bumpers... there are so many possibilities.

 

Most of us may not spend much time in a bowling alley, but we all have memories or associations with it. Bowling often represents unique or special occasions. We gather for fun and to celebrate. However, some people meet every Thursday with a team of like-minded compatriots to improve their own records and help their team in the league standings. They invest time and money in equipment, practice when they can, and compete in league activity each week throughout the bowling season. It's a sport that almost anyone can do, but only a few truly excel at.

 

So what do bowling, zen, and following have to do with anything, let alone belong in the same sentence? A SWE I have worked with for many years, who I meet with regularly and has kept me up-to-date on his latest bowling team developments. I’ve heard so many stories and bowling scores that he made me his honorary bowling manager and my fictional book, “The Zen of Bowling,” he joked, qualified me as his coach. 

 

10 Frames of Zen - Game On!

Perhaps a bit colloquial, I generally think of “zen” as finding peace in times and circumstances where it is fruitless to worry about the things you cannot change. They may also be internally sourced challenges like attrition, unexpected reactions, personality conflicts, fatigue, changes in health, personal ambitions, accidents, or just plain dumb luck. If there's something I can to about a situation, a little ambition and optimism can go a long way. But if you're like me, finding peace and making progress in situations I have little-to-no control over, presents an "existential" challenge.

 

To be clear, there are times and situations where we will be leading and directing, but it will inevitably be in the context of following…

 

Whether you're part of a C-Suite, a sales team, a team of software engineers, a family, a church group, a peer group, or an assortment of strangers you'll discover quickly that some are gifted members, some are reluctant participants, and others are always striving for something more! At different times and in different ways, followers will seek out notoriety, depth of skill, breadth of knowledge, maximum utility, or even a way out. Regardless, while some have natural ability, great experience, or a developing skill set, there will always be new, unknown, unpredictable situations that are simply out of your control. These challenges may be brought on by external forces and influences such as management, customers, policies, pandemics, wars, economic downturns, and competitors.

 

In upcoming posts, I hope to share with you observations I've made as a follower, filtered through the analogy and vocabulary of bowling. So grab your can of sanitizer, your rental shoes, an amazing team shirt, and a bowling ball. I hope you'll join me for 10 frames of fun for the whole family—or 10 frames of developing precision and adaptation for those with ambition!