Though I am not an avid follower of the formula 1 race, I made a decision to study more about the sport when I saw the word ‘pit-stop’ in a book I was reading (Black box thinking by Matthew Syed). In Motorsport, a pit-stop is a place where a racing vehicle stops for refuelling, repairs, new tyres, mechanical adjustments, driver change or a combination of the above. The pit crew, who ranges from between two to twenty persons, carry out these tasks seamlessly and as quick as possible. It is a place where race drivers turn strategy to success. The quicker a driver leaves the pit-stop, the better. In the race, cars are only stationary here for a few seconds.

The objective of this piece is to draw a comparison between the series of activities that occur during these stops and leadership. I will examine some striking points below:

Intensive preparation. The pit crew must prepare relentlessly before the main day. They go through practice cycles where they work out how long it would take to fix the different components of the car. The practical lesson here is that leaders must take necessary steps to improve and grow intentionally. Growth plans must be embedded into their daily schedules. They must not wait until leadership positions are foisted on them.

Precision is key. When pit crew come together, they all have clearly defined tasks which must be done with clinical expertise. The purpose must be on performance and gaining the edge. For leaders to be effective, there must be no time for lengthy, endless meetings, or lack of decisiveness. Leaders must be quick to take the tough decisions if need be.

Leaders must make out time to refuel. A vital reason why F1 drivers visit pit-stops is to refuel since carrying a lot of fuel slows down their cars. Leaders must regularly be re-energised, re-focused and primed to lead. They cannot afford circumstances to beat and weigh them down.

Feedback mechanism. This is built into the entire process. The various practice cycles in F1 are used to improve the system by providing richer feedback. The crew must constantly look for ways to deliver faster and better results. Honest feedback for leaders is an essential part of effective learning and leading.

Marginal gains are critical. These are small wins from everybody in the various activities that accumulate to win the championship. The idea is to break difficult tasks into smaller chunks in order to identify what works and what does not. Leadership must not be a solo effort. Effective leaders must learn to celebrate the small wins of others in the team which ultimately adds up to the achievement of the common goal.

Teamwork is crucial. The F1 is not just about the high-performing drivers. It is about team acting in unison to achieve goals. Everyone is clear on roles and responsibilities and work to achieve their best for the team. Leadership is about driving a collective effort to succeed. Though the driver gets all the attention, it is important to note that hundreds of other people work behind the scene to make this possible.

To conclude, there are questions you must ask yourself as a leader. Do you take some time to refuel? How about challenging your existing traditional beliefs? How often do you take the time to break down big goals into manageable chunks? Do you think a visit to the pit- stop would make the big difference in your leadership? Leaders who aim to drive growth in their organisations can learn about teamwork, collaboration and leadership from F1 pit- stops. More importantly, they discover how to translate talents into a great victory