I was in a car accident recently.

Obviously, I lived to tell the tale, but it was extremely scary.

To be honest, I’m lucky to be alive and to have escaped physically unharmed.

If you follow me on LinkedIn, you’ll know I’m not the kind of person who talks about things like this to gain sympathy, score engagement points, or kick off any philosophical discussions about the fragility of life.

But I feel that an incident like this does create a couple of teachable moments that I’d like to share:

1. In over 25 years of driving, I’ve never before had an accident. This one showed me that no matter how much driving experience I have, or how good I am at being a responsible, careful driver, it didn’t matter – I was still involved in a serious crash. The business lesson I learned from that is – experience is no guarantee of success. What got me here won’t necessarily get me there. It’s important to never stop learning, never stop improving - and never stop wanting to.

2. Of the many safety features my car boasts, the one I rely on the most, every day, failed at the moment of impact. Thankfully, the airbags deployed. Otherwise, the outcome of this story might have been very different. So, what’s the business lesson here? The importance of always having a backup! Whether that’s two-step security authentication, making sure you have more than one supplier able to do the same job, or having a trusted friend ready to step in and ensure your business keeps going if you fall ill (or are in a car accident!)

3. The accident was not my fault – thankfully – and yet I am profoundly affected by it. I have had to arrange alternate transport, I’m bothered by frequent replays of the event in my head, and I’m having to spend hours arguing with the car manufacturers over the apparent failings of some of the safety equipment. This made me realise that no matter how much I stake my business reputation on my work ethic, integrity, knowledge and experience, people and events beyond my control or influence may still sabotage my efforts. It’s important to be at peace with the fact that we can only do so much – but as long as we can look ourselves in the eye and be OK with what we see, that’s what really matters.

Being involved in a serious crash was a LOT, but I am trying to take out as many positives as I can. 

Until the next time, stay awesome.