I am a huge animal lover with horses and dogs at the top of my list. I grew up riding horses and my family currently includes a 9-year-old Golden Retriever and a 10-month-old, 85-pound Alaskan Malamute. As you can imagine, The Horse Whisperer is one of my favorite movies. Horses AND Robert Redford . . . does it get any better? I also love to watch The Dog Whisperer. I am still amazed by how many guests think Caesar Milan will say that it’s the dog and not the owner who need educating. It cracks me up because you know they are fans and have watched multiple episodes. The answer is always a need for more leadership from the humans. No yelling, no discipline, no hitting . . . just pure and gentle leadership. And miraculously, with the proper leadership and confidence, Diablo turns into Sweetie almost instantly.
I think we should start a new show . . . The Business Whisperer. Where business owners and leaders learn how to motivate employees to reach their full potential. Instead of “no eye contact, no touch, no talking” we can have “no demands, no expectations, no judgments”. And instead of “exercise, discipline, and then affection” we can have “respect, believe, and then be amazed”.
Most people think that being a good leader is difficult and that it requires a special kind of personality to do it well. The truth is that anyone can be a leader. You can be a leader in your organization without taking on a big job with lots of responsibility, though you can do that too if you want. You can lead the discussion in the boardroom or you can lead the recycling effort on your floor. It’s still leadership. It is human nature to belong to groups and we all have an innate desire to lead groups, but only a few of us get outside of our fear long enough to take action.
The changing economy is altering the way customers, employees, and the public view business. It takes a new kind of leader to create a winning culture in today’s environment. I strongly believe that the days of the ego-driven, command and control leaders with their tactics of fear, intimidation, and judgment are numbered. To be replaced with Business Whisperers who spend their time inspiring excellence, trusting completely, and sharing their vision for the entire team.
The change is in the mindset. A broadened approach to what is possible, what we have the courage to create, and who we have the courage to become in the process. Realizing the potential of oneself as a leader and encouraging the potential in others. Call it personal growth, enlightenment, psychological evolution, what ever you like. It doesn’t matter what you call it, just start by realizing there are so many more possibilities in business than we have been able to see.
The most successful leaders in the new world of business will be intuitive and compassionate visionaries that promote excellence, passion, and hard work to push the envelope. Leadership is more about who you are leading and less about being followed. It’s not about being kind to everyone and never firing the employee who can’t seem to get it together. It’s about respect and helping others find their best roles in life whether it is with your firm or not. If you and your company are about excellence, then everyone should be 100% committed to excellence. 100% committed to excellence doesn’t mean no mistakes will be made, but it does mean that much will be learned from mistakes. If you want to cultivate creativity and innovation, then mistakes and failure have to be seen as a part of the process and not a reason for harsh judgment.
It can’t be done, you say? So many of us don’t try because we don’t think it’s possible, but I say that’s hogwash! I once spent an hour with a young man, warning him that the next step would be firing him if things didn’t change, and received a thank you note from him the next day. He got that I really wanted him to know what it is like to be engaged and loving your job. It is possible to lay out the realities of a position or someone’s performance while at the same time caring about them and their careers. The trouble is that a lot of people are in jobs that don’t suit them well or they can’t relate their jobs to their life goals. Most people are afraid to openly discuss these issues. It’s easier than you think. The first step is believing it’s possible.
Bring on the Business Whisperers . . .
