|
Hi Reader, Welcome to Your Dose of Mana — a quick, weekly note with: If your biggest business challenges are actually people challenges, you’re in the right place. 1 Real Story Before I left for Vermont at the end of June, I was sitting in line at the car wash when I started looking around. I realized the car wash is basically a perfect snapshot of humanity. To my right was the express lane. People pulling through quickly, exterior wash only, in and out in minutes. Efficient. Minimal. Good enough. I was in the full wash line. Standard, not premium. Basic exterior wash, interior vacuum, a little more support and assistance. Enough to reset things without making it a whole event. Then there was the self-service section. And honestly, those people were operating on another level entirely. Some gave their cars a quick wash and moved on. But others arrived as if they were preparing for surgery. They had bins and bags full of specialized supplies. Different cloths for different surfaces. Tire cleaner. Chrome polish. Tiny detailing brushes. Liquids with very specific purposes I could not begin to identify. These people were not “washing a car.” They were curating an experience. And, as my daughter used to say when she was young, their cars looked “sparkly.” Watching all of this unfold, it struck me how reflective it felt of people in general. Some people want speed and efficiency. Some want structure and support. Some enjoy getting deeply involved in every detail themselves. Not one of those approaches is inherently wrong. They’re just different. It made me think that the way people approach something as ordinary as a car wash probably says a surprising amount about how they move through the world. Including how they lead. 1 Leadership Insight Leadership styles often reflect the same patterns we see in everyday life. Some leaders optimize for speed. They make quick decisions, keep things moving, and avoid unnecessary complexity. Others value collaboration, structure, and enough support to ensure everyone is aligned. And some dive deeply into the details because precision and quality genuinely matter to them. A fast-moving leader may see a detail-oriented employee as slow. The employee may see that leader as careless. Someone who values collaboration may feel bulldozed by a person who prefers to work independently. The friction often comes from assuming negative intent instead of recognizing different wiring, priorities, and approaches. Most people aren’t trying to do a bad job. They’re trying to do good work in the way that makes the most sense to them. When we get curious about what someone is optimizing for—speed, support, autonomy, precision, or control—they become much easier to understand. And often, much easier to lead. 1 Practical Takeaway Pay attention to the small ways people move through the world. How they organize things. Those patterns rarely show up in only one place. And then turn the lens on yourself (if you can find the button 😉) : Where are you an express lane person? The way we are wired shows up in surprisingly ordinary places. Apparently, even at the car wash. 1 Dose of Art A little whimsy. A little joy. A little doodle.
Doodle by Gary Schechner, 8/1/2026 Know someone who needs a Dose? Forward this – or introduce us! I know this is a “mass email,” but I genuinely love hearing from people. Reply, book a Zoom, pick up the phone. I’d love to catch up. Thanks for letting me show up in your inbox. More joy. Less friction. Always. |