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You don’t need to look any further than the motorcycle community to discover behind the leather and armor, it’s the best-in-class curriculum for leadership development. Ironically, while leadership experts have dissected Fortune 500 corporations to understand why they succeed, a community rooted in counterculture breeds leaders with the same qualities that organizations around the world seek.

While it’s true that cyclists love to get out on the open road and ride their bikes, the preparation, skills and experiences that allow that to happen safely also create leaders. Like any community, the individuals within it represent a variety of interests, perspectives, and preferences. What they share, beyond the physical and cognitive skills needed to operate their machines, are the following leadership skills and attributes:

• independence. Riding a motorcycle is a solitary activity. When we’re riding, it’s us and our motorcycle. We need to be in tune and comfortable with who we are. Even when we travel in a group, we are alone with our thoughts, our fears and our beliefs. When we ride, only we make the decisions about how our motorcycle rides and where it’s going. As we successfully meet progressive challenges, the successes are ours to claim.
• Change management. A walk is always an adventure to some extent. Things happen when we are out there. It starts to rain, there is gravel around a corner, someone cuts us off, a detour throws off our carefully planned route, our GPS stops working. The list is endless, and when we’re driving down the highway in a five hundred-plus-pound machine, things can develop quickly. We have to have our wits about us at all times. We learn to be prepared for the unexpected and to make quick decisions.
• Risk management. Although non-cyclists seem compelled to recount horror stories and gruesome details of people who have been killed or maimed, cyclists are already aware of the risks. We accept them and prepare for them. By overcoming initial fears, often exacerbated by exaggerated and unfounded tales, we reap incredible rewards. Nobody knows what’s around the next corner. We have learned to assess the effects of weather, speed, road conditions, travel distances, and fatigue, and to respond accordingly.
• Confidence. Cyclists have the courage to be who they are and not give in to stereotypes or be held back by being told they are too short, too weak, or too feminine, or they will never learn. Those whose first experiences are in midlife have had more time to accumulate fears that they need to overcome. But when they overcome any self-erected obstacles, the joy they experience is much greater.
• sense of community. We all seek kindred spirits. Most new riders are in awe of the instant bond and the camaraderie and compassion between the riders. There is a common bond from which we not only draw strength as individuals, but also gather that strength to increase the cohesion of the community as a whole. Motorcyclists tend to contribute extraordinary amounts of time and effort to charitable causes, caring for those less fortunate, and giving back to the community.

The next time you see a motorcyclist, look beyond their gear and consider what they’ve had to accomplish to become who they are. Regardless of the personal or professional choices they have made, they share the above qualities. And who knows? You may just be looking at a community leader, CEO, Member of Parliament, or the wife of the Prime Minister!