Two flat tires.
A dark murram road.
Late Saturday night in the middle of nowhere.
By Sunday morning, the car was fixed—and I had learned one of the clearest leadership lessons I’ve encountered in a long time: your team is always watching, learning, and adapting to who you really are.
Last weekend, I visited a friend—let’s call him John—along with a small group of friends. We left Nairobi in two cars and arrived at our destination early evening. Dinner was good, the conversation even better. It was one of those rare nights where time slows down and you remember the value of shared moments.
Later that night, we were shown where we’d be sleeping—about ten minutes from where we had dinner. The road there was pure murram. If you’ve driven Kenyan country roads, you know what that means: loose rocks, deep ruts, and a guaranteed car wash the next day.
About a minute from the gate, one of the cars hit a rock hard enough to tear the front right tire. While attempting to reverse, the rear right tire went as well. Two flat tires. Late Saturday night. No open shops. No noise. Just a quiet acceptance that this would be dealt with in the morning.
John calmly acknowledged what had happened and said he would call his mechanic first thing in the morning. No frustration. No blame. Just confidence.
The Conversation That Changed the Story
The next morning, as we stood under a tree watching the mechanic finish up, he casually joined my brother and me in conversation.
Then he said something that stopped me.
“When the boss called me last night about the tires, I told him we didn’t have the ones he needed. I didn’t want to disturb the storekeeper that late. But I knew I would have everything fixed before he woke up.
The most important thing for my boss is results. As long as the goal is achieved, he won’t be too worried about how I got there—even if I had to lie a little.”
He smiled, wiped his hands, and walked away.
Moments later, John walked over and said:
“When I called the mechanic last night and he said he didn’t have the tires, I knew he was lying. I knew my vehicle uses the same tires and that we must have them in storage.
But I didn’t argue. I trusted he would take care of it.”
At that point, my brother and I laughed—and told John that the mechanic had just shared the exact same story with us.
Different perspectives. Same understanding.
What This Taught Me About Leadership
This wasn’t a story about tires.
It was a story about clarity, trust, and leadership alignment.
1. Your Team Studies You Closely
People learn leaders not from policies, but from patterns. Over time, your team figures out what truly matters to you—what you reward, what you tolerate, and what you let slide.
2. Clear Goals Create Better Decisions
When people understand the end goal, they don’t need micromanagement. They take initiative, solve problems creatively, and move with confidence—even under imperfect conditions.
3. Trust Accelerates Execution
John trusted the mechanic to deliver. The mechanic trusted John not to overreact. That mutual trust eliminated unnecessary back-and-forth and allowed work to get done efficiently.
4. People Protect Leaders They Believe In
When teams feel safe and respected, they don’t just protect themselves. They protect outcomes, timelines, and sometimes even the leader’s peace of mind.
5. Leadership Is Revealed in Small Moments
Not during speeches or town halls—but in how people act when it’s late, inconvenient, and no one is watching.
Final Reflection
If your team can predict your response, that’s not a weakness—it’s leadership maturity.
The real question is:
What are they predicting you care about?
Because that answer determines how they show up when things go wrong.
