Learning Leadership Through Rollerblading

I am learning to rollerblade at age 41! My husband and kids gave me new skates for Christmas. They were not out to get me; I actually had skates on my list. With all the hoopla around the holidays I finally had an opportunity to try them out a few days ago.

I chose a smoothly paved walking trail that seemed to be on flat ground. First my daughter, and then my husband, walked along beside me, holding my hand as I wobbled fiercely and scrambled to regain my balance. I haven’t done this since I was in high school and I was mediocre even then. I kept my head down, watching the ground pass under my wheels – looking up, I would stumble. I held tight to the arm that supported me at every shift in the road, a curve, a slight incline or decline, a bumpy spot. At first, I did not even notice as others walked past.

Gradually, I began to lift my eyes from time to time and see a little farther down the road. Slowly I recognized the rhythm and sway of my body that allowed for longer strides and a sense of stability. It became clear that I would have to let go of the arm that supported me and give in to the rhythm if I were ever to maintain balance for more than 30 seconds.

Wow . . . I did it!! Before the end of the day, I was looking forward and swaying from side to side, swinging my arms, feeling the wind in my face. My family cheered, and in fact, so did the couple across the way, walking their dog.

As I coasted to the bench and took off my skates, excited and tired, I thought– there is a leadership lesson in this experience. Here are some that come to mind.

1. I am not too old to learn new tricks (I mean skills)! Leadership is a skill, not part of your DNA. It doesn’t matter if a person is an introvert or an extravert, a thinker or a feeler . . . it is not about having a “leader personality”. The real skill of leadership is learning to listen to our inner self and act on that rather than reacting to emotional triangles, tangles and webs.
2. This would be so much harder if I didn’t have support. I might even quit or never really give it a shot. Smart leaders need strong people to surround us, support us and encourage us. A wise friend from my church once said – if you are leading a ministry all by yourself, you should re-examine what God is calling you to. God sent us out in pairs and teams, in community. We are not designed to work alone.
3. It takes courage, knowledge and trust to let go and look towards the horizon. I had to feel the sway, learn to trust the rhythm of my own body and then . . . I had to let go and live into what I knew to be right even though I thought I might fall. I knew I would never learn to skate . . . and we can never learn to lead, if we are too afraid to look ahead and trust our own rhythm. Each of us has a rhythm that is unique. We have to discover our pulse, the heartbeat of our inner self that tells us who we are – that place where God communes with us and gives us strength, energy, life, power, and direction. And then we have to let go and live into that rhythm.

The next time I go skating, I’ll take a strong support person along and I’ll know that I have to trust my rhythm and take a chance. And maybe in learning to skate again, I can strengthen my leadership skills along with my leg muscles and sense of balance.