When I turned on the car and saw the oddly shaped icon lit up on the instrument panel, I did not panic.  Really, I didn't.  I did, however, calmly turn off the ignition switch, get out of the car and proceed to tighten the gas cap. That has always fixed it in the past; so I assumed that would do it this time.

When I turned the ignition switch again, the icon was still lighted.  I looked at the buttons on the dashboard and began to push them....odometer....fuel guage....reset compass....oil level....traction control.  Humph.  The light still shone. In fact it seemed brighter, as if in defiance.  It mocked me with the silent scream "Check Engine, silly woman!"

What would happen if I drove off down the hill with the light on? How soon is "soon?" I wondered.  At least with the gas guage I knew how many miles I might have left.

I bemused myself by thinking about the person who invented that little signal light.  Who decided an engine outline looked like that?  How did they decide when it would flip on?  Was there the same urgency with, say a truck or a sports car ,that there was with my little runabout?  What were the consequences of ignoring it'?

After several days and one long trip, the glare became too much for me.  I ran through the quick fix routines again (including resetting the oil guage,, driving in a circle to calibrate the GPS, and filling up with premium gasoline.)  I am writing as the car is being serviced and I am preparing for a tongue-lashing from the repair technician and  paying  the tab for my wanton display of disobedience.

Does your organization have a "check engine" light?  a signal that things are not working the way they should?
As a leader hw long do you think you can keep running without checking on your processes and your people?
What is the price for ignoring signs of trouble?