Bumpers, Gutters, and Why Every Leader Needs Guardrails

A while back, I took my grandkids bowling. We put the bumpers up. Every ball made it down the lane. Every kid cheered. Nobody threw a gutter ball all day. It got me thinking, and not just about how bad my own score was.

Bumpers exist for one reason. Gutters are real. The lane does not care how good you think you are. Even strong bowlers throw gutter balls when they get tired, distracted, or overconfident. Leaders are no different.

I learned this the hard way. In over 40 years of work, from the Army to big companies to running Jenisys Group, my worst seasons were not when I lacked skill. They were when I lacked guardrails. No one close enough to tell me the truth. No rules set in advance. Just me, my pride, and a wide open gutter.

That is what I call the Bumper Guard Principle. Guardrails are not for weak leaders. They are for honest ones. A guardrail is anything you put in place before you need it. A friend who can call you out. A habit you keep even when you are busy. A line you decide you will not cross, decided on a calm day, not in the heat of the moment.

Here is the hard part. Bumpers feel insulting. Pride whispers that you have been doing this a long time and you do not need help. I have watched good careers end because a leader believed that whisper. Every wreck I have seen up close started with someone removing their own guardrails.

So try this today. Name two people who have full permission to tell you the truth about yourself, and tell them so out loud. Then write down one line you will never cross in your work or your home. That is it. Two people and one line. Simple guardrails, set before you need them.

You do not need bumpers because you are a bad bowler. You need them because the gutter is always there. Want to go deeper on this? Visit herbadkins.com to learn more.