A couple of my key employees bought me one of those NASCAR race experiences. I learned a lesson about trust from my day at the racetrack. I learned about trusting the system and following instructions, and I saw how doing those things translates into results.

The NASCAR visit was cool. You get to drive a stock car around the track eight times at about 130 miles per hour. It’s a big thing for NASCAR fans. I’m not a fan, but I thought driving the car might be fun, so I went for it.

In fact, I invited the guys who gave me the gift and bought them each a ticket.

The Experience

The three of us headed to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Speedway is an incredibly impressive place, regardless of whether you’re a fan. NASCAR is a shockingly big deal, and these tracks are like nothing I had ever seen before. They are gigantic and are surrounded by grandstands and condos. Yes, condos. Interestingly, we’ve now handled the division of some of those very condos when their owners divorced. People sit in their trackside condos and watch the races. Amazing.

The three of us went through a classroom session and got trained on the driving. Then we were suited up in the special outfit and helmet. Then they took us on a van ride around the track to familiarize us with the track layout.

Here’s the plan for the ride. We get into a car. We’re each in our own car. We get buckled in and get comfortable. Then a pace car pulls in front and we’re supposed to follow the car. The pace car driver gives us hand signals telling us whether to catch up or back off. We’re told to do exactly what the pace car is doing and follow closely.

That’s what I did. I watched the pace car like a hawk. I stayed exactly in the position I was told to stay in at the precise distance from the pace car. I followed very carefully as we accelerated from zero to 130. We went round and round, and before I knew it, the eight laps were over.

The Results

Was it fun? It was sort of fun. It was mostly tense. It was mostly me paying careful attention and doing exactly as I had been told. In retrospect, I’m not really sure I’d describe it as “fun,” but I’m glad I did it.

The other two guys finished right behind me. We all gathered around to get a written report of our laps. The report showed our maximum speed, average speed, etc. When they gave us the reports, they also tried to sell us every variation of picture, video, plaque, etc. that you can imagine. If we’d bought much of what they were selling, we’d have doubled our cost. The upsell is probably a good story for another day.

Anyway, I crushed the other two guys. I beat them handily on everything that was measured. I was cocky for the entire ride home. To this day, I’m still reminding them of the beating they took (and it has been years).

How I Won

So why did I go faster than them? And what does this story have to do with anything?

Here you go:

I thought about the situation facing me while I was sitting in the race car classroom listening. I realized that:

1. These cars are very, very expensive.
2. They can’t afford to crash the cars frequently.
3. They can’t deal with lots of injured tourist/drivers.
4. They have to maintain a system that gets people through the experience so they’ll come back and send their friends.

The race car people, the Richard Petty Driving Experience, have to run a safe, efficient system to be profitable. I realized I needed to trust and do what I was told. There was no need for me to think about what they were telling me. I didn’t need to evaluate them, test their theories, and spend mental energy processing the instructions.

I needed to do what I was told. I needed to follow instructions.

That’s what I did. When the car felt like it was leaning over sideways as we went around the nearly vertical wall at 130 miles per hour, I just did what I was told. I didn’t think. I didn’t process. I didn’t do anything but drive the car like I’d been told. I trusted the system. I trusted the instructor, the car, the pace car and everything I’d been instructed to do.

By following the instructions exactly, I had the fastest time.

I love these stories where I’m the hero, don’t you?

It was all about trust. I had to trust the system, and I knew the system was built to keep me safe and encourage me to come back, pay the money, and do it again. Trusting the system got me the best time.

Once I committed to that driving program, I had to trust its team to keep me safe. I had to do what the team members told me to do. They’re the experts, not me.

The two guys with me hesitated. They didn’t trust as much as I did. It’s hard to argue with them in their approach. When coming toward a wall at unbelievable speed, they hesitated. They lifted their foot slightly from the accelerator. They did what any reasonable person would do and slowed down. I didn’t. I trusted the system and decided they weren’t going to let me die.

To Succeed, You Have to Trust the System

I’ve got a bunch of lawyers with whom I consult. They come to me for advice about growing their practices.

[ While I have you here, I wanted to remind you that you can get the latest articles delivered to your inbox a week before they go up on the web. Just one email per week. Sign up here. ]

Some of them listen, trust my advice, and execute on the plan. They trust, and they win.

Some of them listen, go back to their office and rethink my advice, and then, maybe, execute on part of the plan. They don’t trust. They hesitate. They lose.

Does it bother me that some of my clients don’t do what I suggest? Probably. But the evidence suggests that their hesitation, re-evaluation, indecision, trepidation, and inaction damage their progress. They’d be better off plunging forward, even when it’s at 130 miles an hour and they’re flying around on a vertical wall of the racetrack.

When you pick a surgeon, you should do your research, evaluate your options, choose carefully, and then trust the doctor. The time to hesitate is before you make the selection.

The same is true for race car instructors and business consultants. If you’re going to pick someone, then do your thinking, analyzing, and evaluating as part of your selection process. Once you’ve picked someone, you need to trust that person and follow his or her advice. It’s time to execute.

My consulting clients who execute on the advice are soaring. My clients who think, think, and think some more are stuck.

You’re far better off if you carefully select your adviser and then follow the advice. Don’t reconsider, waffle, debate, or re-evaluate. Trust yourself to make a good decision in the selection process and then execute. Go.