
Nice day to walk the dog. Kind of chilly for Florida.
It has been some time that I haven't taken my 9-year old boxer on a morning walk, so I thought it would be great that she would come with me this morning. Shorts, a fleece for the chill, leash and off we went.
There I was, pulling on her at every step when something caught her attention, and I got to say, this was pretty often. Every time I would get up to my burn-these-extra-10-pounds-that-I-packed-on-the-wrong-job pace, she would make sure to slow me down to do her thing.
So when I reached a stretch where there was no one nearby, I released her from her tether.
Now, we would walk harmoniously side-by-side. She would just wander out and investigate "places of interest". Would stay behind, but eventually speed up and come back to my side.
Now, my stride was steady, focused on the goal. I was walking in a straight line. We finished our walk at home on time an happier we could not be.
That's when it hit me, how real leadership has to behave.
The difference between a micro manager and a good leader who knows where he/she is going. A good leader sets the pace through example and recognizes diversity both in background, knowledge and style (BTW the similarities between my boxer and I end on how fast we both eat...), and allows his/her team to explore areas of interest that may seem important at their level of influence. Finally, lets them figure out the best way to keep up with the pace.
No leashes for me...