There has been a long preoccupation in America with being fast and being the best. But could it be possible that winning (or advancing) at all costs is killing us? More than 50 percent of US employees would trust a complete stranger over their boss; heart attack rates are highest on Monday mornings; the United States is the world leader in anti-depressant medication; and more than two-thirds of US employees experience a lack of connection or inspiration in their workplace. Misery festers in a space where Americans spend half their waking day. Simply put, something is broken.
 
Pit-crew coaches Mike Metcalf and Shaun Peet know about the pressure to be fast and to be the best. NASCAR pit crews operate on the edge of what is humanly possible: they are expected to consistently change four tires and fuel a car in 12 seconds. The difference in one-fifth of a second—the time it takes to change a single lug nut on a single tire—can be the difference in more than $1 million in earnings. But in a performance-driven profession where leadership is often done poorly, Metcalf and Peet have discovered timeless truths that translate into every work environment, whether you work in the corporate world, own a small business, coach a team, or manage people. Speed might be the currency of business, but diversity, efficiency, culture, and kindness are the pathway to a competitive advantage.
 
About the Authors
Mike Metcalf and Shaun Peet are the founders of DECK Leadership, a business consulting company based in Charlotte, NC. Through DECK, they inspire and transform the modern workplace by uncovering opportunities for diversity, efficiency, culture, and kindness rooted in principles based on pit crew experience. Both Mike and Shaun have been apart of NASCAR for over ten years. They are currently head coaches for the Chip Ganassi Racing pit crew.
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Mike and Shaun draw unexpected parallels between creating and maintaining a high functioning team in their pit crew department and creating high functioning teams within business. They have presented to multiple organizations at all levels of employees from managers to c-level executives. Now, they are sharing their unique principles of leadership with the release of their first book, 12 Second Culture.