Yapping Dogs Make Lousy Leaders
Yapping dogs make irritating leaders. Successful leaders don’t run around barking.
Don’t aspire to lead because you want to tell people what to do.
Seek to release, not control.
Talented people don’t enjoy being barked at.
Downside:
Yapping leaders end up with de-energized teams. People stand around waiting for the latest round of barking.
You aren’t a leader if you spend your day barking orders.
Real challenge:
It’s easier, in the short-term, to bark an order than to release talent.
The real challenge of leadership is understanding people, not barking orders. Successful leaders explore and understand people’s talents and passions as they relate to organizational mission.
It’s seductively simple to say, “Just get out there and get the job done.”
It takes time and energy to explore and find alignment.
Releasing:
If you want people to bleed for you, bleed for them.
- Pour into others, if you expect them to pour out for you.
- Explore their interests, if you expect others to invest themselves in your organization.
- Describe success, not how to achieve it.
- Define roles and responsibilities. Give people a place.
- Keep your word and expect others to do the same.
Conversations about engagement often crack me up. We treat people like employees and expect them to act like owners. Frankly, engagement strategies are often self-serving attempts at getting more for less.
Personal illustration:
Money is never the final consideration when I commit to a client. You can’t buy my commitment. I give it.
You can’t buy someone’s heart.
I commit to:
- People who respect and trust me.
- People who share my values.
- Opportunities where I make a difference using my passion and talent.
Release people by showing respect, building trust, sharing values, and giving people opportunities to make a difference.
How might leaders create environments where people are released more than controlled?
Saw this at 0804 hrs over here in Singapore. Nice way to start my day!
Good morning Elijah. Thanks for your note and have a great week!
What a great way to begin coaching in 2016. I may send this to every client.
Thanks Dan
Thanks Gail and best to you and your clients. Happy New Year!
I was a former client! Happy New Year, Gail.
“We treat people like employees and expect them to act like owners.”
Bingo!
Releasing people all begins with respect and trust. What sane person barks at people he or she respects and trusts? Once the barking stops, empowerment can begin.
I wonder, how many readers thought of a particular current or former boss when seeing the title of this post? I sure did!
Thanks Jim. In some ways, tapping into people’s passions is easy. But, I think leaders need to humble themselves to do so.
It seems that many traditional views of leadership are connected to command and control approaches to people.
Dear Dan,
Thanks a lot for bringing such a wonderful subject in front of us.
Really I have seen in many organisations like How much they are caring for themselves , if organisation really like to set a tone of owned interest then organisations or leadership must understand what is role of each and every employee and their personal values.
2. Ignored stress is more stronger then the visible one. Many a times productivity reduced because of ignored stress. Small counselling or create a platform or allow them to share their own problems. Sometimes we may not be able to solve but due attention can do a lot for people. It would help leadership in understanding employee relationship management with a learning how to burst ignored stress. Could able to create a bonding with organisation.
3. As many great leaders rightly said coaching is more important in guiding people or in understanding their committed goal with organisational goal true but creating loyalists for organisations or for leadership , family culture must be introduced with a due care to all with one mission like this is our organisation and we are all for this organisation. We must not let down this respected mother, called xyz company.
Realisation is the key for “ownership ”
Crazy
Thanks Crazy. I appreciate your insights. When I read your comment a little line pops out to me. “…due attention can do a lot for people.” Sometimes leaders don’t address issues because they are afraid they won’t be able to solve them.
As you indicate, sometimes just letting people know you care makes a big difference in energizing them. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Thanks Dan for your article, it inspires me
Thanks Andrianus. Best wishes.
What a thought provoking piece! I cannot but recall the behaviour of a boss akin to what you have mentioned. He believed in barking orders. He had converted people into submission. No clear guidelines and communication on what is deliverable. Just intolerance. Result. He lost peoples respect even tough they pretended otherwise in his presence. I am told he has not mended his ways even though all good people were lost to him.
Thanks Dan for this wonderful piece and very true for sometimes employees get to know about barking habits of boss and dont relate themselves with the organisation causing decreased efficiency .”Pour into others, if you expect them to pour out for you.” Great thought provoking idea
Dear Dan,
A powerful post Dan. It is true that more you want to control over people, more you are likely to lose control over them. Powerful managers and leaders understand this philosophy clearly. They practice this without expecting any support. Lousy leaders need support in form for blind followers. They get followers who dance on the tune of leaders. Such leaders might be surrounded by many people, but they do not create good environment. They make sure that the real talent leave the organizations. However, the number of leaders with blind followers are more.
The root of such approach is nothing but our intention. Inspiring leaders always have good intention. They are concerned and caring about people and organization.
As a football coach I can tell you that ‘barking’ at players constantly causes them to tune you out. As a coach I see myself as a teacher first. Yes, I’m demanding, but not to the point where players shut down. People intrinsically want to do well in a competitive environment. As coaches/leaders we need ‘buy in’ from those we depend on the most for success.
Dan – Could you tell me more of what you mean for this statement — “Describe success, not how to achieve it.”
Hi Dan, Thanks for this post and all the other ways you give to your community. This is one of your best posts (though I tend to love them all). Barking at people in a professional environment is tantamount to wearing a sign that says “I don’t know how to lead”. It’s painfully obvious to all but the other barkers.
Great post Dan. One key I’d add is to challenge people – in healthy ways, and then get out of the way. As long as their is a clear, aspirational purpose and vision, and a supportive/enabling, people will rise to the challenge in powerful and purposeful ways.
Great read and so true. I can’t begin to count the “yapping dogs” I’ve worked for.