The Bus Driver uses Comrades Marathon as a metaphor for leadership. The author cleverly draws from his novice Comrades experience of running the race and observing the role played by pacesetters, or the ‘bus drivers’, as they are popularly known in South Africa.
The book captures the spirit of camaraderie, resilience, grit, and endurance evinced by the Comrades Marathon runners. The participants run in groups called ‘buses’. The ‘bus driver’ volunteers to support and encourage the ‘passengers’ along the course.
The famous Comrades slogans,” It will humble you’, “It takes all of you’, “Hard is what makes it great’ and many others, headline the chapters to keep the spirit of this grueling ultimate human race real.
This beautifully narrated fast-paced page-turner, will captivate the reader as the narrator reflects on episodes of fear, joy and anxiety from the start to the end of this one day event. .
As runners face challenges and hardships along this ninety kilometers hilly course, the ‘bus driver’s’ role becomes even more prominent. He encourages and motivates the ‘passengers’ by showing each one of them is responsible for the success of the team. The vision or the dream to cross the finish line is as important as the people responsible for seeing the dream through. They learn to share the resources, the laughter, the joy and pain. The ‘bus driver’ impacts them by his constant roll call and sense of humor during the very difficult moments. Songs, mantras and his wisdom fuels the team and keeps the members bonded..
The hills and obstacles they face, are only there to strengthen them, he said. The longest hill they will ever face from the start to the finish of the race, is the runner’s mind. Once each can learn to conquer the mind, they will each conquer something within them: fear.
The race has five famous spiking mountains, called the Big Five and many other unnamed hills. The enormity of the race is dispelled by the ‘bus driver’s ‘ emphasis on teamwork. Like geese flying in formation, the ‘passengers’ in the ‘bus’ learn that they can only cross the finish line when they allow themselves benefit from the thrust of the team.
The book summarizes some of the leadership lessons through the beautifully coined lines such as the following:
“Never judge a leader by the length of his stride, but by the size of his heart”
“As we overcome obstacles, we kill something within ourselves: fear”
“Team spirit fuels unity”
“Our competition is time, not other people”
“Don’t keep members who choose to fall off the bus.”
“As a leader, reputation is everything”
“If you are going to lead people, impact them”
“You cannot ignore the steps that count to the finish line.”
“As a leader, look your best at your most difficult moment”
“The truth is, we cannot change the hills, but can control our response towards them”
“Don’t allow negative people drag you down to their level”
“Your best is beyond your limits”
And many more.
At every obstacles they encounter, they celebrate previous victories. At the end of the race, the ‘bus driver’ wonderfully summarizes his role: “I was just a medium for self-leadership. Go and help future novices you are going to meet cross the finishing lines of life.”
