|
 Going to the Dogs
What can a dog teach us about leadership? No, I’m not going to talk about Alpha Dogs or the psychology of the pack – none of that silly stuff about “if you’re not the lead dog the view is always the same.” Instead, let’s take a look at some of the life lessons our dogs can teach us. Sometimes I think my dog is a better coach than I could ever be! I’m lucky to live in a town that professes to be satisfied with nothing more than “good
hat, good dog, good boat,” where many morning walk regulars know me only as “Lucy’s Mom,” and where many shops on Main Street put out dog water and treats at their doorsteps. This past weekend, we held our annual Dog Day Afternoon to show off our faithful companions’ many talents and romp with them on the new spring grass. It all got me to thinking that dogs instinctively bring out the better selves of us humans. Isn’t that the real objective of all great leaders?
In his book Connect, psychiatrist and educator Edward Hallowell identifies a relationship with a pet or other animal as one of the “twelve vital ties that open your heart, lengthen your life, and deepen your soul.” With their innate capacity for
connection, dogs remind us of one of the key elements in the leadership relationship. Followers need to feel connected to their leader, and when they don’t feel that connection, whether through shared values or purpose, they are apt to leave. Anyone who has ever watched a demonstration of hard-working border collies herding their flock of sheep knows that dogs have a deep desire to serve. We may think of this
as chiefly a characteristic of followers, but the best leaders understand that “servant leadership” is the most powerful variety. When a leader puts his skills and strengths in service to the people he must lead, anything is possible, because those people will stand fast beside him in the face of enormous challenges. You don’t hear a lot about seeing-eye cats or drug-sniffing ferrets, do you?
Dogs are always perfect at being, well, dogs – despite our best efforts to dress them up and make them smell pretty. Even the best-coiffed little “frou-frou dog” will find the one dead fish on the beach and roll around in it. That’s because dogs never lose their dogginess – the physicality that connects them to the rest of the biological world. Leaders who understand that leadership presence doesn’t come from the head, but from
the heart and even more from the gut, are the ones who move their followers most powerfully. Our dogs demonstrate on a daily basis that joy is contagious, and that it is an essential ingredient in sustaining the tie between leader and follower. A leader who can spark excitement about the work and who understands that having fun at work is a major attraction for top talent today will have the loyalty of the whole organization. Likewise,
dogs are a great reminder that you just can’t take everything so seriously. As my good friend and colleague Frank once said, “I am being coached by my dog in the domain of lightness.” Dogs illuminate the darker side of leadership as well, although we’re not always as quick to get the message. Jon Katz, in his fascinating book The New Work of Dogs, shows us the grim paradox of a society that spends lavishly on dogs we sometimes use as emotional substitutes for real human relations, while abandoning 8-10 million of them to the shelter system every year. Leaders can also succumb to the self-delusion brought on by deference and adulation, and sometimes they abuse the trust of their
followers in cruel and unthinking ways. The leader who reflects regularly on the quality of his relationships with those he leads will find it easier to avoid falling prey to his own myth. Could you use some help in improving your leadership skills? Coaching is a proven way of working with your strengths so you can operate more effectively. If you’re tired of
struggling to get the results you need, or you just want to prepare for the future, let’s talk about how coaching can work for you. Call (410)626-6008, or email info@bloomfieldassociates.com. 
If there’s no dog in your life, borrow one, and make it your practice to get down on the dog’s level once a day for some dedicated playtime on the floor. -
Notice how the world of humans looks to a dog – what’s the perspective from under the kitchen table?
- How does it sound to a dog – what if you only understood every 100th word, but had to listen hard to hear it in all the background noise?
- Now try playing with the dog as if nothing else mattered. Pay attention completely to the game at hand, focusing entirely on your playmate.
Make some notes and after a week or so, look for themes or trends in your experience. What have you learned about yourself as a leader? |
|
In 2004, the total US consumption of office paper weighed in at more than 8 million tons, up 19% from 1996. During the same time period, the use of inkjet and laser
printers more than doubled. Coincidence? Estimates are that in 2008, the US will use 8.8 million tons of office stock, roughly the weight of 88 aircraft carriers. In survey of Washington, DC area executives, respondents voted on almost a 2:1 basis that a page one listing in Google or Yahoo was more important than a prime commercial real estate location. Really, they did. A reader in Boston sent this to us: Meet Clocky
: A graduate student at MIT has invented just the thing for those of us who've become a little too dependent on the snooze buttons of our alarm clocks. ''Clocky," as it has been dubbed, goads its bleary-eyed owners into leaving their beds. That's because to turn Clocky off, you have to find it. When its snooze alarm is pushed, Clocky rolls and tumbles to the floor. Thanks to shock-absorbing materials and rubber wheels, it then races away from the
bed. It bumps into objects, repositions itself, and eventually comes to rest in a place far enough away from the bed that its owner will be forced to get up to find it when the alarm sounds a second time. A built-in microprocessor randomly programs the clock's speed, distance, and routes, so that it won't land in the same spot twice. I did not make this up. You can read about it in the Boston Globe. 
The Thumb Generation That’s what the Japanese call all those kids who are constantly text-messaging each
other – and are as a result quite adept at using their thumbs for tasks they were never meant to do. For us baby-boomers, though, this can result in a bad case of “BlackBerry Thumb” – if you’re worried, check out what WebMD has to say about it. 
 Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future, by Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers.
What I like about it: The authors explore an entirely new meaning for the term “presence” – not just being fully attentive in the present moment, but listening on a much deeper level and being open to completely new ways of seeing the world. I’m also fascinated by the way this book was developed, using the insights gained from an ongoing conversations over time among a range of participants in SOL (Society of Organizational Learning.)
Beth Bloomfield
Executive Coach, Strategy Consultant
Principal, Bloomfield Associates
Share what you’re into — books, articles, movies, music, websites — with others on the list! Send us the title and author or other pertinent information, along with a sentence or two on what you like
about it, and if we use it in A Different Optic we’ll not only quote you, we’ll provide a link to you or your website. | |
“The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.”
— David Russell | | Do you know someone else who might be interested in reading this? Send it to them now by clicking here.
If you wish to subscribe to
A Different Optic, please click here to send an email request or visit the newsletter section of our website.
After receiving many inquiries from students and new coaches about her popular teleclinic “Build Your Executive Coaching Practice,” Beth Bloomfield is offering another running after all, provided there is enough interest to fill the group. If you think you may want to participate, please contact Beth at (410) 626-6008. If you live in the Annapolis area, you
like sailboats, or you’re interested in supporting women’s causes, consider donating to the Chesapeake Bay Women’s Challenge sailing regatta to be held July 30-31. Proceeds will go to Anne Arundel County Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and business sponsorships are still available. Call Beth Bloomfield
at (410) 626-6008. | | |
|
|
|
