A traditional parable tends to illustrate a single principle by telling a short tale. Contemporary business parables are often not content with describing only one. In his bestselling book, The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy, Jon Gordon gives us two complete handfuls of insight, striving to provide as much guidance as can fit into a thin volume.
Perhaps with all our multi-tasking, stress-filled ways, Gordon feels he should give us all he can while he has our attention. Remarkably, this little book does just that— providing us with both principles and inspiration that many other more extensive business books fail to do.
The story begins as an all-too-common tale: Middle-aged man in mid-life crisis mode is failing at work, facing divorce, neglectful of his health, ignoring his children and even stereotypically yelling at the family dog. When rushing to an early-morning meeting, he is greeted in his driveway by a flat tire. His stress increases.
Our hero, George, faces another humiliation: He has to take the bus. But once on board, a talkative and insightful driver greets him and introduces him to an interesting group of passengers.
When it turns out that George’s flat tire probably prevented him from driving a vehicle without adequate brakes, he finds himself relegated to riding the bus for two weeks while his car is repaired.
During that time, he is taught 10 rules that will change his life, including saving both his job and marriage. These rules of the road are:
1. You’re the driver of your bus.
2. Desire, vision and focus move your bus in the right direction.
3. Fuel your ride with positive energy. (Negative energy is friction.)
4. Invite people on your bus and share your vision for the road ahead.
5. Don’t waste your energy on those who don’t get on your bus.
6. Post a sign that says “no energy vampires allowed” on your bus (get rid of the
malcontents).
7. Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energizes them for the ride.
8. Love your passengers by giving them your time, listening, recognition and service; work to bring out the best in them.
9. Drive with purpose.
10. Have fun and enjoy the ride.
“The Energy Bus” is given its name by the sage driver who makes it her mission to energize everyone who comes on her bus. Her goal is to help energy-drained individuals, or “Dimmers,” like George and give them a boost.
Positive energy is like a muscle, George learns. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. Repetition is key, and the more focus placed on positive energy, the more it becomes a natural state.
George begins to think about his own personal habits and what hard choices might be required to create and maintain energy. Within ten days, he has learned the rules that will change his life.
With such a simplistic story line, The Energy Bus could easily fall into cliché. But the author steers clear of such potholes. The lessons presented are based on making conscious choices about how to react to everyday problems.
He also admits the challenge of making change, avoiding an easy, happily-ever-after ending. When, for example, George determines to turn things around in his life, he meets with resistance and negativity. Change begins with a conscious choice but doesn’t end there.
Positive energy, the driver tells George, is “high-octane fuel for the ride of your life, while negative energy causes sludge to accumulate in your energy pipeline.” Vision and focus help you to turn the bus in the direction you want to go. The ultimate rule of positive energy, George learns, is that “your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone’s and everyone’s negativity. Your certainty must be greater than everyone’s doubt.” With this information, George faces the reality that there are people who don’t want him to succeed because it makes them see their own weaknesses and failures.
Once he has mastered these personal insights, George turns to developing his leadership skills. In the chapter titled “Love Your Passengers,” the author suggests that the best way to enhance performance and productivity is by “loving” your passengers. In this context, that includes listening, serving and bring out the best in them.
The Energy Bus is a quick read and a drive-by review of principles that can enhance both personal and business life. As the driver tells George, “Have fun and enjoy the ride.” This little parable provides some positive fuel to do just that.