Servant Leadership on Two Wheels
Jul 07, 2026
It’s Tour de France time again! If you’ve been around me any July in the past 14 years, you already know about my addiction. Spanning 21 days each summer, I get the chance to watch extreme athleticism, breathtaking scenery, and extraordinary teamwork. It’s always on one monitor or the TV.
One thing that’s fascinating about the Tour: while each team has several riders competing each stage, the primary goal is to support a single individual in the stage or overall win.
And one role captures my attention every year - the domestique (French for “servant”).
Domestiques support the leader, and without them, the leader most likely wouldn’t win the stage. Their work is selfless, strategic, and absolutely essential.
Their duties include:
- Drafting and pacing: Riding in front of the leader to reduce wind resistance so the leader conserves energy.
- Protecting the leader: Shielding them from crashes, wind, and the chaos of the peloton.
- Supplying essentials: Delivering food, water, and mechanical support during the race.
- Controlling the race: Chasing down breakaways, setting pace on climbs, disrupting rivals.
- Lead-outs: Positioning sprinters or leaders for intermediate sprints or stage finishes.
As leaders, domestiques give us a powerful example:
- Drafting and pacing: Lead with a clear vision so your team knows where they’re headed and can focus their energy on the mission.
- Protecting: Can your team show up and do the work? Or are they derailed by gossip, misinformation, lack of clarity, or poor leadership? Are we fighting for our teams?
- Supplying essentials: Does your team have the knowledge, support, autonomy - and yes, especially snacks - to accomplish their goals? Do they know if they’re winning or losing?
- Lead-outs: Go first. Lead by example. Hold yourself to the standards you set for your team.
Personally, I think the domestique is the ultimate picture of servant leadership.
It’s July- let’s put on that spandex (metaphorically!), ride our bikes to work, and use our special talents.
Let’s channel our inner domestique.