The Gas Pedal, the Brake, and the Clutch: Reflections on Leadership and Growth

Written By Casey Johnson

I’m at that stage of parenting where I’m teaching my oldest teenager how to drive. As a result, I’ve added more gray to my already salt-streaked waves these past few months.

During one recent driving lesson—after basketball practice, no less—my son asked a question that stopped me in my tracks:

“Will I ever use my left foot when I’m driving?”

That simple, genuine question reminded me that most cars today no longer have a clutch. Just a gas pedal and a brake—of which my son’s size-14 shoe clearly prefers to press on the gas.

And it brought me back to an analogy I’ve carried for years, shaped through helping lead an organization that grew 15x and by supporting more than 50 organizations as they replicated their models across the country.

When an organization enters high-growth mode, I’ve noticed that successful teams almost always have a healthy mix of three leadership types: Gas pedals. Brakes. And clutches.

The Organizational Vehicle

For any organization (or vehicle) to truly move forward, a lot has to work together:

  • Navigation — a north star, mission, and growth strategy

  • Systems — programs, measurement, operations, finance, and HR

  • Fuel — resources and funding

But none of that matters without drivers.

(Yes, this analogy worked better before electric vehicles—but stay with me!)

Over the years, I’ve come to see patterns across dozens of growing organizations. Here’s the big takeaway:

Healthy growth requires a balance of gas pedals, brakes, and clutches—working together and informing strategy from start to finish.

I’ve never seen an organization grow sustainably when it’s full of only brakes (it doesn’t grow at all frankly)—or when it’s all gas pedals and no one managing the turns.

Growth Leadership Types

While every organization is different, I often see some predictable patterns:

  • Gas pedals: Executive Directors, CEOs, Board Chairs, Chief Development Officers

  • Brakes: Finance, Operations, and Learning leaders

  • Clutches: Program, HR, and Growth leaders

Of course, there are exceptions—and the best leaders often evolve over time. Some can “switch-hit,” adjusting between types depending on what the organization needs. Those are the true clutch leaders: adaptable, intuitive, and able to anticipate when to accelerate or ease off.

But awareness is key. If your board is full of gas pedals while your staff leadership leans brake-heavy, you’ll likely feel friction—fits, starts, and tension.

Gas Pedal Leadership

Characteristics:
 External-facing, visionary, aspirational, operating at the 25,000–50,000-foot view

Strengths:

  • Deep belief in the organization’s impact potential

  • Comfortable with ambiguity and imperfection

  • Connects need with solution and pairs aspiration with action

  • Counters hesitation and drives momentum

Watch Fors:

  • Can burn out (or burn out others) before the vision is realized

  • Needs detail-oriented teammates to execute

  • Must stay aware of practical limitations to the vision

Brake Leadership

Characteristics:
 Grounded in systems and internal operations; pragmatic and methodical

Strengths:

  • Provides counterbalance to over-acceleration

  • Ensures resources are used wisely and sustainably

  • Translates vision into operational reality

Watch Fors:

  • May perceive growth as risky or premature

  • Should examine what’s behind the hesitation—fear, readiness, and/or capacity?

Clutch Leadership

Characteristics:
 Bridges vision and execution; comfortable moving between strategy and operations

Strengths:

  • Anticipates when to accelerate or decelerate

  • Mediates between gas and brake

  • Understands both frontline realities and strategic priorities

  • Thinks several steps ahead in planning and execution

Watch Fors:

  • Can be overly influenced by either gas pedal or brake

  • May struggle to find role or purpose when the organization reaches steady state

Bringing It Together

In the coming weeks, I’ll profile three leaders who exemplify each of these types, so you can see the gas pedal, brake, and clutch come to life.

In full disclosure, I learned to drive a clutch at 13—on dirt roads in rural America. Maybe that stuck with me, because I’ve always been a natural clutch: able to see when to shift gears, balance tension, and help the whole vehicle move smoothly forward.

So, what about you?
Are you a gas pedal, a brake, or a clutch?

Casey Johnson
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