Defensive Driving

I have a cousin who is a highly adept driver- sitting in a car or bike with him would be a thrill ride. He would cut it so fine with regards to distance from other vehicles that it would leave you squirming in your seat. And while one's heart would be pumping, you couldn't help but admire the skills on display.

I asked him once, "you leave no room for error - what if the other person makes a mistake?"

"Then, it would not be my mistake", he replied not really concerned about the damage and inconvenience that would likely be caused.

A defensive driver is one who while maintaining a healthy speed also takes into account possible mistakes from other vehicles. For e.g. when you see an intersection with a green light, you slow down even though it is your right of way. You adjust the distance between the vehicle in anticipation of what you see ahead and so on.

When a person transitions from being a highly skilled individual contributor to a manager, I see this as being similar to transitioning from a highly skilled driver to a defensive driver. You need to account for tolerances of team members with varied levels of performance. Setting up a benchmark based on standards of your own skill levels is unrealistic and you will likely suffer a crash. Stating that it is not your mistake wont help you.

Can a highly skilled driver become a defensive driver when required? Some can. And some as you can see are simply are unable to make this transition. They are better off racing on their own as individual contributors.