Google's approval to have driverless cars got me thinking this week. Yep, "driverless" cars. Well, sort of. Nevada is going to allow a small fleet of self piloted cars (Prius) designed to be driverless but two people are required to be in the car at all times and one must be in the driver's seat able to grab the wheel in case of an emergency. The cars are expected to be mass produced in three to five years. Do I want one? Do you?

I'm thinking that in the physical sense and in the metaphoric sense it's generally better to drive than to ride along. It's most certainly better to at least be a front seat passenger than a rear one. Doubt me? Then where did the timeless childhood game of calling "shotgun" come from? Ok, technically it came from the American "wild" west. Aside from a railroad ticket, stagecoaches were the only means of transport during this period and they also carried valuables. During this period of lawlessness, protection was necessary and so a stagecoach would always have an extra man armed with a shotgun sitting next to the driver. So there you have it.

Think about the role of the shotgun passenger, which by the way, is where we are sometimes for good reason. The deal is, if you you want "shotgun," you need to call it. Getting shotgun means that while you aren't completely in control, you still get a great view, have an important "job" and it's likely that if something happens you are qualified to take over. Sounds like there were probably some "shotgun" seat discussions at Google.

So if we think about how we operate in business, it's not much different. We may or may not have the choice to be a passenger or a driver in every situation, but you do have the option in most cases where it matters. Yet many people choose to be passengers by default. They don't even realize they have this choice and just accept what gets thrown at them. The danger is that you might remain a passenger until one day you reach the destination and realize that it's not where you want to be. This is very true for entire industries...not just for individual people.

I believe strongly that given the choice people are generally happier as the driver. Oh sure, they may get tired or even lost, but it's still pretty cool. And let's face it, to get where you want to go you have to be a driver. And when you're not, you need a really good copilot, not just a passenger. I find the differences in a passenger and driver pretty clear when examining the extremes. A passenger lets things in life happen to them. They generally have quite a simple life because they can just sit back and let their life move in any direction.  They don't need to take control or responsibility in part because they believe that life depends on "luck". Hmm, luck as a driver. The downside to this simple style, if any, is frustration or dissatisfaction.

On the other hand a driver controls their own destiny.  They decide not only where they are going, but how and when they are going to get there. This requires them to have more responsibility because they have to make decisions and it can be stressful since they're bound to make some wrong turns and get lost fairly often. But eventually they are rewarded for their time and effort. They get what they want. And we may as well admit it, we all like to get what we want.

Before we get all cocky and think that being a driver is the only place to be, we have to think about what kind of driver we're going to be. Reckless? Impatient? Always looking for shortcuts? Will we make it a good journey for our passengers? Will we work well with our co-pilot? Are we the kind of driver that sets off for a journey without a map or properly planned directions, thinking we can get there quicker but end up getting lost and taking much longer to reach our destination? I'll admit that I am sometimes not a terrific driver. I've been known to exhibit all of the traits I just mentioned. But I still tend to be happiest when "driving", when I'm setting direction and moving towards that "destination".

It's up to each of us to make the decision about whether we're going to spend most of our time as a passenger or a driver. I suggest that generally you're better off not taking the easy and simple option of being a passenger or you'll never reach the heights of what you are capable of and deserve. So as you look at how you operate are you a passenger or a driver, and if you're a driver what type of driver are you?