What We Can Learn from Bad Drivers

The takeaway here is to be mindful of what's going on around you. Are you being left behind by new trends, using new marketing channels and targeted technology? Is how you're selling to your customers relevant to what they want? Do you spend more time talking at them than listening to them and what they want to achieve?

Road Challenge 3: Overly confident drivers
This type of driver isn't distracted; they are very focused. Focused on getting to their destination faster than anyone else. They pass drivers only to cut them off because they need to switch lanes to avoid rear-ending a semi. Those of you who drive in snow or ice during the winter months also experience the "I have a four-wheel drive and am Superman (or woman), even on ice" driver. If you live in a warm climate and havn't seen this, understand that no one has an advantage driving on glare ice, especially those speeding down the highway, then slamming their brakes. They are the people we Northerners see further down the highway stuck in a snowy ditch, waiting for the tow-truck to pull them out. Sometimes, we even resist the urge to laugh at their silliness.

Our industry is full of driven professionals. It's at the heart of what makes it successful. Many industry businesses are growing and thriving. Having the experience of learning some things the hard way in the last recession can help us be better at what we do, and work smarter. Forgetting these hard-taught lessons and becoming overly confident drivers could hurt us down the road.

You don't always have to drive in the fast lane. Give yourself a break sometimes.