Success Advice
3 Lessons From a Race Car Driver: How to Prepare When There’s No Time to Practice

Race car drivers don’t get much time to train the way other professional athletes do. Expenses such as track rental and entry fees, paying team members to help, and hospitality logistics make it tough. Often, we don’t practice until the actual race weekend, when you’re lucky if you get to participate in a handful of 30-minute track sessions.
Yet, everything has to play out perfectly from the seat of my Lamborghini — one error can be disastrous at worst and cost you a strong finish at best. That means we have to get creative about honing our craft if we want to succeed.
The old adage that practice makes perfect is nice in theory, but in some industries, practicing isn’t always possible. It’s hard to practice skills when you’re expected to immediately execute on them.
Startup leaders, for example, must rely on themselves to wear many hats. They likely don’t yet have a fully-fledged team of people who have mastered their skills and are experts in their field. When a problem or opportunity arises, entrepreneurs must be able to learn fast and perform perfectly. There’s no time and less money, but the work has to be done and done well.
So how do you stay on top of your game when there’s no time for dress rehearsal or a rough draft? Here are a three things I’ve learned as a professional race car driver:
1. Research all you can
There have been times when I couldn’t gather data or in-car video of the race I was about to compete in. However, I could find a video online of a pro taking a lap around the track and make notes from that.
Feel like there are missing pieces in a project? Open yourself up to other resources. Seek out ideas that might not seem related at first. In the digital age, we can find just about anything online. You open many more doors to success and opportunity once you get creative about the learning process.
Part of your research should include talking to others who have been through similar experiences. If I hadn’t driven a track before but know someone who has, you can bet I’ll ask what the experience was like.
Focus on others’ experience, not necessarily on their advice. Learn what stood out to them, what help they wish they had, or what surprised them. From there, you can create your own solutions based on what you’ve already researched and learned.
“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” – Abraham Lincoln
2. Make sure your mind and body are ready to perform
The best thing you can do to aid in performance — especially if you’re called upon to act without the chance to prepare — is to commit to constant maintenance of your body and mind.
If you feel physically strong and your mental game is in tip-top shape, you’ll be that much more equipped to handle unforeseen challenges. Physical workout preparation is very important to my on-track performance. The temperature can reach 155 degrees, easily, in race car cockpits, and the physical toll of controlling the machine is no joke. Each brake application is equivalent to 150 to 200 pounds of strain on your body, and steering loads can reach up to 55 pounds.
Add to that the constant lateral and longitudinal forces pulling at your body against the harness, and you can see why race car driving is a sport. I once lost four pounds from sweating alone in one race. So I’ve learned to keep myself in optimum physical and mental condition. That way, I’m always ready for a challenge — whenever it might spring up.
Keep your body and mind in performance-ready shape by prioritizing sleep, hydration, and proper fueling. These practices keep you mentally fresh, concentrated, and happy. If you can’t practice, at least you can prepare yourself to jump on any new opportunity that comes your way.
3. Keep data on your past performances
Just because we’re not able to practice doesn’t mean we can’t stay engaged in our performance. Data acquisition is without question the fastest way to improve your driving — or any performance. For race car drivers, data logging is as vital as stock reports are for investors. It should be similar for any professional.
The reams of information that data systems provide can help a driver evaluate and identify areas to improve. Through the many channels of data, the system allows you to graphically see how much speed you carried into a bend, if changing a technique on a lap was helpful, or whether your throttle application is efficient. Once you have those insights, the key becomes finding out why certain strategies are stronger. This turns driver “feel” into science.
Investing time and resources into tracking data will convert into real-life application. Even entrepreneurs and business leaders need to be able to study their past performances, find out what worked, and look for areas where it’s appropriate to try something new. Tracking key performance metrics will help you filter what’s relevant and what’s not, allowing you to speed ahead to a worthy solution.
“Study the past, if you would divine the future.” – Confucius
Whether race car driving or developing a new app you’re trying to get funding for, there’s more to it than “practice makes perfect.” And thank goodness for that! Performing when you haven’t had the chance to properly prepare is all about hustle, hard work, persistence, and putting yourself in the best position possible to execute flawlessly.
Which one of the 3 lessons could you apply most to your life to achieve everything you want this year? Let us know below!
Success Advice
Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)
The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)
Success Advice
What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)
Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)
Entrepreneurs
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
Entrepreneurs
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