People think that auto racing is all about speed. And surely, speed is part of the equation, but far from the most important aspect of motorspors and auto racing. Auto racing involves all of the senses, and many of a leaders most important life values.
Some of these ‘life values’ include leadership skills, authencity (with self), personal introspection and deep reflection, strategy, truth and honesty, integrity, sportsmanship and teamwork, ability to focus, consistency, thought leadership, courage, self awareness, calmness under pressure, resiliency, persistence — and I cannot say this enough — stamina and endurance. And to do this sport well, you must have and practice dignity, throughout. Your life depends on it.
All of these values, and more were on display on track this past weekend at Phakisa Raceway in Free State, South Africa, where I raced as part of the Fantastic Racing, Team FR-Shelby Racing featuring the Shelby Can-Am cars as designed by the legendary Carroll Shelby.
A special thank you to Fantasic Racing and its CEO, Mark Lauth, for donating cause marketing livery sponsorship on all team cars this week to the organization I founded, Operation HOPE. Operation HOPE is active in South Africa, providing financial literacy education and economic uplift tools and services to youth and women in the underserved communties in seven provinces.
You have to be ‘made of something’ to race cars. You cannot fake it. For leaders — real leaders — it brings out all of their best qualities and makes them even stronger.
John Hope Bryant