Blog

I’ve been accused of being a micromanager. I own up to it. My natural leadership style is to organize, delegate, and follow-up with encouragement. As a leader I am willing to be responsible for getting the job done even though much will depend on the efforts of individual team members. I was taught to inspect what you expect. Sound familiar?

I hope I have grown to not only have self-awareness of my own natural tendencies but have also learned new philosophies related to leadership. In my work coaching young leaders, one of the assessments I make is whether they are pushing or pulling when it comes to leading others. The truth is they need to learn how to do both. They also need to learn when to apply each and to what measure.

I will confess that I know very little about the sheep raising business. Most of my knowledge would come from reading stories or watching a documentary. I do get the sense that there is a good illustration of leadership in the image of shepherds and sheepdogs.

Both shepherds and sheepdogs are engaged in the welfare of a flock of sheep. They go about it differently, however. The differences include their tactics and their relationship and responsibility to the sheep.

Shepherds walk ahead of the sheep and the sheep follow because they know the shepherd is committed to their welfare and safety. The sheep follow because they know the shepherd. The sheep follow because they want to.

Sheepdogs push the sheep forward from behind. Often, the tactic is fear. Sheepdogs will growl when sheep stray from the group and the intended direction.

Shepherds are committed to protect the sheep at all costs. Sheepdogs are committed to assisting the shepherd.

It would be easy to draw the conclusion that as a leader we should aspire to be shepherds. Shepherds portray some of the best tendencies of a good leader. People desire to follow a good leader. A good leader always has the best interest of their individual followers in mind. A good leader builds relationships and is committed to individuals they lead.

Good leaders must also be realists. All sheep are not alike. They have different tendencies, intentions, and backgrounds. Sometimes good leaders must take on the persona of the sheepdog to fulfill the needs of individuals. The key is to always maintain the best interest of the individual you are charged with leading.

Striking the right balance between the shepherd and the sheepdog and applying it correctly to the individual being led is where the magic happens for a leader. When you get this right, the results are heavenly.

Here are a few questions to consider.

What is your natural operating tendency between these two ideas? More shepherd or more likely sheepdog?

Would developing and improving your skills in one of these two be beneficial to you as a leader?

If you were better as a leader what would that look like? What would be the results? Would it be worth putting in the work?

If you would like to have a conversation about improving as a leader, reach out to me and let’s discuss.