WHY EXPERIENCE ALONE WON’T MAKE YOU A GREAT LEADER

There’s a common trap leaders fall into: They assume because they’ve seen something before, they know exactly how to handle it now.

I’ve seen this play out in racing. I’ve seen it in healthcare policy meetings. I’ve seen it in boardrooms. And I’ve learned that past experience can mislead you if you treat it like gospel.

EXPERIENCE HELPS—BUT IT’S NOT A GUARANTEE

Don’t get me wrong: experience matters. It teaches pattern recognition. It gives you instincts that younger leaders haven’t built yet. But it’s not a strategy. And it’s certainly not a license to stop questioning your assumptions.

Markets shift. People change. Technology evolves. What worked five years ago might not even be legal or logical today. Relying too heavily on what used to work makes you slow to adapt and blind to context.

A RACING EXAMPLE: THE TRACK NEVER STAYS THE SAME

Take track racing.

You could run Road Atlanta 100 times. But if it rains, or if your tire compound changes, or if someone wrecks in Turn 7, everything you thought you “knew” about that track goes out the window. If you stick rigidly to what worked last time without adjusting to the now, you lose time, or worse, crash out.

Good drivers know when to trust instinct and when to reset. The same applies in leadership.

WHERE LEADERS GO WRONG

Some leaders use experience as a shield. They shut down new ideas with:

“I’ve been doing this a long time. “We tried that already. “That won’t work here.”

Sometimes they’re right. But more often, they’re ignoring new variables and discouraging innovation in the process.

In my experience, this happens most in three places:

1. Crisis moments – When stress is high and decisions get rushed.

2. Budget planning – When leaders assume last year’s model still fits this year’s environment.

3. Team building – When you hire or promote based on familiarity instead of future need.

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GOOD LEADERS QUESTION THEMSELVES FIRST

I’ve led in high-stakes environments where the consequences were real: policy outcomes, scientific research, and hundreds of miles at 150+ mph.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Great leadership decision-making doesn’t mean always having the answer.

It means:

• Asking better questions

• Seeking input from people who see what you don’t

• Spotting the difference between a pattern… and an assumption

I’m not interested in being right. I’m interested in getting it right.

SYSTEMS THAT KEEP YOU FROM GETTING LAZY

If you want to avoid being led by outdated experience, build systems that challenge it:

• Post-mortems that actually get read

• Advisors or partners who don’t just nod along

• Data that tells you why something worked, not just that it did

• People on your team who are encouraged to say, “What if we’re wrong?”

Leadership is not about always having the best idea. It’s about creating a process where the best idea wins.

WHY THIS MATTERS MORE NOW THAN EVER

In research, in healthcare, in racing, we’re operating in environments that change fast.

AI, regulation, public trust, reimbursement models, and consumer behavior- none of it stays static. If your leadership style is stuck in the past, you’re not leading. You’re lagging.

The leaders who will stay relevant in the next decade are the ones who combine experience with fresh thinking, curiosity, and a bias for learning.

FINAL LAP: DON’T LET YOUR HISTORY BECOME A HANDCUFF

The longer you lead, the easier it is to rely on instinct. But instinct without context is just noise.

I don’t want to be a leader who says, “We’ve always done it this way.”I want to be the guy asking, “Is there a better way now?”

That mindset is what keeps you sharp. It’s what keeps your team trusting you. And it’s what keeps your decision-making aligned with what actually works today, not just what used to.