What Riding Together Reminded Me About Leadership
This morning, instead of walking, I rode a bicycle with two friends.
And somehow, by the time I sat down to write this piece, what remained with me most were leadership lessons.
What a pleasure it was to ride and connect with
@Owiny123 and
@regisdietitian
I first met Hakim about a year ago when he attended my book event hosted by Femrite. A few weeks later, we rode together and he introduced me to the eBee.
After some gentle persuasion - though honestly it did not take much, because I have always carried a special attachment to bicycles after my father taught us to ride as children - I bought a bicycle.
Since then, I have joined some of the rides Hakim organizes as he advocates for clean air and a more bike-friendly city.
For now, I mostly ride in groups because I am still nervous about traffic. Our motorists are not always sensitive to two-wheel road users. But I genuinely love riding, so I was delighted when Hakim agreed to ride with me this morning. The bonus was that he came along with Regis, who is passionate about healthy living and nutrition through her app, Lya.
It was a beautiful ride in the suburbs.
The roads were calmer. The air felt softer. And the morning sun wrapped everything in a hazy golden glow as we rode past quiet homes, trees, and people slowly beginning their day.
We laughed. We observed. And we took turns leading.
One moment Hakim was ahead, signaling a pothole or slowing us at a junction. Another moment Regis was checking from behind to make sure no one had fallen back. At another point, I found myself leading the pace.
And it struck me that perhaps this is what healthy leadership looks like.
Leadership is not always about being in front.
Sometimes leadership is the person ringing the bell to alert others of danger.
Sometimes it is the one reminding the group to slow down. Sometimes it is the person checking that everyone is still together. Sometimes it is having the humility to follow another person’s cue because they can see what you cannot.
On a bicycle ride, you quickly learn that movement depends on attentiveness, trust, communication, and collective responsibility.
You watch for signals. You listen carefully.
You adjust. You protect one another. You learn that confidence is not recklessness.
And you realize that no one arrives well alone.
And perhaps that is the dance of leadership many of us are still learning: how to carry responsibility without domination, how to guide without controlling, and how to move at a pace that allows others to remain part of the journey.
As I begin this final week of May, I hope to carry these lessons with me in how I engage my team, my community, and myself.
Blessings for the new week ahead.
#RideTalkConnect #LeadershipLessons #CommunityInMotion
@eBee_Uganda @CivsourceAfrica