Stewarding Joy: What My 1976 Beetle Taught Me About Leadership

I own a 1976 Volkswagen Super Beetle Convertible, one of the limited-edition Triple White models. Whenever I drive it, people smile, wave, point, and occasionally stop me with questions when it’s parked.  Driving that car requires a different mindset – that of noticing and being open to the curiosity and joy expressed by others around me upon seeing it.   

Over time, I’ve learned something important: driving the Beetle isn’t just about enjoying the car. It’s about being present for the people who enjoy seeing it.  

That realization led me to several leadership lessons. 

1. Notice the People Who Notice You 

Leadership begins with awareness. It’s easy to become focused on where we’re going and miss the people around us. Great leaders pay attention to those who are paying attention to them.  As John C. Maxwell says, “Great leaders walk slowly through the crowd.”  Indeed.  But how often am I not only not walking slowly, but I’m not aware of the faces in the crowd.  Or that there’s even a crowd around me?   

People want to be acknowledged, not overlooked. 

2. Be Interruptible 

Many of the best leadership and connection moments arrive unannounced. A conversation in a parking lot. With the Beetle, it’s usually a series of fun questions and we can usually get to 4-5 before I’m over my head mechanically speaking.  But it’s still a great connection.  In our organizations:  A quick question. A team member who needs encouragement.   

A colleague called me out on this years ago while I was sitting at a table before our leadership offsite, clearing as many emails as possible before our meeting consumed the day.  She sat down, started sharing a situation she was anxious about and we were very quickly knee-deep in that conversation.  Then suddenly she said, “My goodness – I’ve been blathering on and on here and totally interrupted what you were doing.  And yet, here you’ve closed your laptop and have been listening to me instead.  Thank you for giving me the grace I needed today in spite of how busy you must be.”  Oomph.  What she meant as a sincere compliment hit me hard.  The truth was while I had closed the laptop and given her my attention, it wasn’t intentional.  That’s just how I happened to respond on that day.  As “busy” as I felt, it was 50/50 I may have responded in a different direction.  Our conversation that day taught me to be intentionally – rather than accidentally – interruptible. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m working on it.  

What we often call interruptions are frequently opportunities for connection.  

3. Steward Joy 

The joy people experience when they see the Beetle doesn’t belong exclusively to me. I have the privilege of helping protect and share that experience. I get to hear stories of first cars, cramming eight cheerleaders into said first cars, road trips across the Southwestern United States, and the ever-popular spinning “cookies” on icy parking lots, carried by the momentum that can only be generated by an engine in the rear of the vehicle. 

Leaders do the same thing. We steward hope, confidence, celebration, and belonging. Our role is not simply to achieve results but to create environments where people can flourish.  Hear their stories.  Know what brings them joy, frustration, uncertainty and confidence.  When we laugh together, we’re setting ourselves up to win together. 

4. Slow Down Enough to Connect 

Nobody expects a vintage Beetle to rush. In many ways, it invites a slower pace.  And believe me, mine models this perfectly. Though the speedometer goes higher, 65 mph is the most comfortable top speed.   

Leadership often requires the same thing. Trust, relationships, and meaningful conversations rarely happen at the speed of our calendars.  As John C. Maxwell reminds us, “If you want to go fast, go alone.  But if you want to go far, take others with you.” 

Connection requires presence. 

5. Remember That People Are the Journey 

The most valuable lesson of all is this: people are not interruptions to the journey. 

They are the journey. 

Long after accomplishments, projects, and goals are forgotten, people remember how they were treated. They remember whether they felt seen, valued, and encouraged. 

That’s the kind of leadership worth practicing. 

The Beetle reminds me of that every time I take it for a drive.  It’s not how young you are (my little car turns 50 this year), how smart you are (power steering, windows, locks, or  anything here is not a thing), or how fast you are, but rather how present you are for the people on the journey with you.  What does stewarding joy look like for the people around you?