10 Leadership Lessons I Learned from Mountain Biking
I reluctantly started mountain biking in 2020. My husband and kids started exploring the bike trails near our house, and my fear of missing out finally overcame my fear of falling. Most of those initial rides were me white-knuckling over obstacles and using up what I called my "brave tank" on every ride. Fast forward five years and more than 500 rides later, and I now consider myself a legit mountain biker.
During this time, I was also navigating a career change. I left an executive role at a consulting company where I had been for 16 years. A company I helped build with people I loved. I was at a crossroads in my career and navigating an uncertain time.
The journey to becoming a mountain biker gave me confidence that extended beyond the trails and into my role as a leader. I realized that I wasn't just learning bike skills but also life and leadership lessons.
Here are the top 10 lessons I've learned and how they show up for me in life and leadership.
1. Look further down the path.
The first riding tip my husband gave me was to look further down the trail. My instinct was to focus on the ground directly in front of my wheel, which resulted in a bumpy ride. I was surprised by the obstacles in front of me and overreacted to small things by braking or turning abruptly. But when I lifted my gaze, my brain could anticipate what was ahead, prepare, and react smoothly without overcorrecting. When circumstances feel overwhelming, like navigating my son's college search or uncertain business conditions, I remind myself to zoom out. A broader perspective helps me anticipate challenges and respond thoughtfully, rather than react impulsively.
2. Speed is your friend.
It sounds counterintuitive, but picking up speed before encountering an obstacle, like a series of rocks, increases your chances of clearing it. Part of the reason is just physics: inertia, momentum, friction. The other part is attitude. When you approach an obstacle tentatively, your instinct is to put a foot down and lose momentum. But if you commit with both speed and conviction, your ride will not only be smoother, but you'll also have the power to clear the obstacle. This lesson comes to mind when I'm approaching something outside my comfort zone, like launching a new consulting offer. If I approach a new opportunity with commitment and decisive action, I'm much more likely to succeed.
3. Features, not obstacles.
In my early riding days, I called things like rock gardens, logs, and creeks "obstacles." They felt like things standing in my way. Then I realized those "obstacles" were what made riding fun, so I started using the official term, "features." These "things in my way" weren't roadblocks. They were opportunities to learn, grow, and have fun doing it. This shift in perspective has helped me reframe unexpected challenges, like supporting aging parents or losing a big opportunity. Overcoming these "features" is what makes life meaningful.
4. Follow someone's line.
When tackling a new feature for the first time, it's helpful to follow the "line" of someone who has ridden it before. This not only shows me the most navigable path but also gives me a boost of bravery - an "if they can do it, I can do it" feeling. I try to remember this when I'm forging new ground and lean on mentors to help me navigate. For instance, when I started my business, I relied heavily on people to show me the way. Now, five years in, I'm finding my own "lines" and enjoy sharing lessons learned with people starting on a similar path.
5. Developing new skills takes practice.
"Sessioning" is a fun mountain biking term for when a group of riders stops to try a feature together in a supportive environment. Other riders may demonstrate "the line" (per the last point), offer encouragement, or even spot someone if there's a chance of falling. In my experience, it can take anywhere from one to 20+ attempts to master a new feature, and sometimes results in stitches (a story for another post). This experience is a helpful reminder of a growth mindset. Being a great leader isn't an innate talent. It's a skill developed through consistent practice, and sometimes it takes "sessioning" to master tougher skills.
6. Avoiding hard things makes them harder.
On the flip side, the more times you skip a feature and don't try it, the harder it becomes to master over time. A couple of the features I haven't cleared yet aren't even that technically difficult, but I negatively reinforced them in my brain. By not trying them, I'm telling my brain that they're dangerous and should be avoided. This shows up for me in things like public speaking. My instinct is to avoid it out of fear, but I know this will only make it worse. Even just attempting the feature (or speaking opportunity) and failing sends a message to my brain that this activity is safe, and I'll conquer it one day.
7. If it's not on Strava, it didn't happen.
I've never been into tracking my workouts until I became a mountain biker. One of the friends literally believes it isn't worth exercising if you don't have proof. I used to give her a hard time for this, but now I track all of my exercise in Strava (a popular fitness app) and see the benefits. This year, my goal is to ride 2,025 miles on the bike and walk 365 miles. Having this goal and a way to track progress makes me less likely to say no to a ride or skip a walk with my dog. It reminds me of the OKR goal-setting model in business, which encourages you to set aspirational goals not as a pass/fail method, but to encourage you to achieve more than you think possible.
8. A bad moment doesn't make a bad ride.
Some days I feel off my riding game. I plan to conquer a new feature, but my balance is off. Or I keep putting a foot down on features I usually clear. In the early days, I would say, "Today's not my day," and write off the entire ride. Now, I try to think like a goldfish (to reference Ted Lasso) and not put too much weight on a bad moment. Some of my best riding accomplishments have come on a ride that didn't get off to a great start. The same applies to other situations, like a bad meeting. Just because a client meeting didn't go as well as I hoped doesn't mean it's a bad day or a bad project.
9. Celebrate wins without shame.
I feel heroic every time I conquer a new feature. I'm always quick to share the accomplishment with family and riding buddies. "Guess what I did? I made it up ‘Stairway to Heaven’ without stopping!" And I get equally excited when my friends hit a mountain biking milestone. I've tried to apply this to the work setting by celebrating wins, especially with people who are also on a learning journey. For example, when I started my business, I gravitated toward people doing the same and found it energizing to share our progress.
10. Doing hard things builds confidence.
Progress in mountain biking is very tangible. One day, I couldn't pass that rock garden without walking, and now I can. One day, I could only do 5 out of 30 features at my local park, and now I can do 28 out of 30. The progress means more because of the courage and practice it took. I was scared, and I did it anyway. I didn't have the skill, and I practiced until I did. This is how confidence is built: a series of small, consistent actions.
When I started mountain biking, I was at a crossroads, having just left a company I grew up in, navigating the pandemic, and feeling lost on what to do next with my career. The journey to becoming a mountain biker gave me confidence that went beyond the trails and extended into my role as a leader. It gave me the courage to start a business, become a certified leadership coach, overcome a second round of breast cancer, parent teens, and complete a 100K race in the mountains.
Looking back on the past five years, I'm reminded of a phrase one of my favorite colleagues taught me: "When is the best time to plant a tree? Answer: 30 years ago or today." Any new skill or accomplishment is the result of a series of small steps every day. And the best time to start is today!
