Dogs are designed to act in specific ways. If you can’t choose the people on your team, ask how they can thrive.
- Huskies pull.
- Saint Bernards rescue.
- Pugs love attention.
- Golden Retrievers guide.
- Greyhounds race.
People are like dogs. Greyhounds won’t thrive guiding. Don’t expect pugs to rescue.
Saint Bernards won’t flourish pulling sleds. Training won’t help.
Application
Plans begin with people. Mission relies on the pack.
Where can the dogs take you?
Coaching Dogs
You don’t create talent. You develop and release it.
You don’t impose passion. You ignite and fan it.
Coaches tap the talent and passion of the people in the shed.
Leadership Practice
Don’t teach Greyhounds to sit. Your job isn’t to fix flaws. Put people on the right track.
Match roles with talent.
Set expectations that maximize strengths.
Forget about the team you wish you had. Win with the people you have.
Exercises
List everyone’s strengths. When are they most alive?
Who are you trying to retrain instead of release?
Who needs to be repositioned this week?
5 Ways to Stop Fixing and Start Developing
Read: Good to Great
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This post was previously published on LEADERSHIPFREAK.BLOG and is republished with Creative Commons license.
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