Guest
post by Krissi
Barr:
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. That, of course,
is #FakeNews. I know because my 12 year-old dog Yoda just learned how to pull a
coffee cake off the kitchen counter and make the entire thing disappear in
under 10 minutes.
The real question is whether a dog can teach new tricks to people.
If by “people” we mean “business leaders” then the answer is a resounding “woof
yes!”
Dogs are natural leadership geniuses. This stems from their innate
knowledge of four critical concepts—The Fido Factors—that all great leaders
share: they are faithful, inspirational, determined and observant.
Of these, determination is clearly one of the most critical to
business success. And to finagling a pan of breakfast pastry off the kitchen
counter.
Good leaders persevere until they get what they want. Great
leaders never quit until their entire team crosses the finish line. In first
place.
Life litters our path between the parking lot and our office desk with
obstacles. Our favorite employee quits, a key customer switches to a competitor
or raw material costs skyrocket due to a conflict 6000 miles away.
Stuff happens. And when it does it can knock us down. But the most
resilient among us bounce back and keep going. Most importantly they lift up
their entire team and plow ahead.
We are often measured by the success we achieve in life. But what
matters most—what really sticks with others—is how we respond to adversity.
Because those who crank up their determination when others throw in their chips
are almost always the ones who win in the long run.
Like a big dog with long legs who really wants some coffee cake
that’s just out of reach on the counter, leaders never give up. Ever. If
something is worth going for it’s worth going all the way for.
When times get tough, real leaders redouble their effort. And they
find a way to motivate those around them to do the same.
Like an extra gear on a sports car, leaders kick it up. It isn’t a
matter of physical strength. It’s all about mental toughness. Like a dog backed
into a corner, it’s fight or flight. And leaders unleash the full measure of
their fight in order to secure victory for the home team.
Edison invented over a thousand non-working lightbulbs before he
finally got it right. Most people would have given up after five or 50
failures, and certainly after 500. But that never say never attitude is what
changed his life—and the world—forever.
You will face adversity. It could be a difficult customer who says
they will never switch from their current provider. Maybe that’s true. Or maybe
they haven’t experienced the supersized onslaught of your determination to show
them how your solution is better.
Yoda said “Do or do not. There is no try.” That’s Yoda from Star
Wars, not Yoda the dog who likes coffee cake. Either way it is true. Redouble your
determination and do. Then watch your leadership quotient zoom.
Krissi Barr
is CEO of Barr Corporate
Success, consultants specializing in strategic planning, executive
coaching, and behavioral assessments, and the co-author of The Fido Factor: How to Get a Leg Up at Work.
