Several years ago,
one of my children came to me at Christmas and asked me if we could get a dog.
This was not a new request. I had heard this request regularly over the years.
My excuse was that my wife and several of my children have asthma, and have negative
reactions to dogs. However, this time my son came prepared with an offer that I
could not refuse. The first part of the offer involved my son’s commitment to
improve all aspects of his behavior. (Yes, I had heard that offer before.) The
second part of the offer was new. He was interested in a Siberian husky puppy.
The Siberian husky is an outdoor dog, and since it’s a breed that is used to
the cold and loves the snow, this would be a way for us to have a dog without
affecting anyone’s asthma. We talked, discussed and bargained for a long time
and finally I caved. We became dog owners.
As I thought about
owning a dog, I imagined the kinds of things that we might do together. I
imagined us going for a walk and the dog would lope happily along by my side. I
imagined going to the park, throwing a Frisbee, and my loyal dog bringing it
back. I imagined the dog playing with the kids in the back yard. What I
imagined was truly ideal.
The dog finally
arrived. My son named him Kestler. He was a beautiful puppy. He grew quickly
and I began to take him on walks, but they were not what I imagined. Instead of
loping by my side, Kestler persisted in dragging me into my neighbors’ yards.
Whatever speed I would walk, he would walk faster. I had a friend who wanted a
jogging partner and I convinced her that Kestler was perfect. They went
together just once.
If we took Kestler
to the park to play Frisbee, he would chase the Frisbee, grab it, and then
proceed to run in the opposite direction. We also discovered quickly that you
can never take a Siberian Husky off the leash. They run away.
Our once beautiful
backyard and flower garden became Kestler’s kingdom. When he discovered
digging, my lawn turned into a series of trenches. After a couple of years it
was hard for me to imagine the value of this dog. It became clear to me
that Kestler would never be the dog I had hoped he would be.
As we approached
another Christmas season, our good friend Racer, who had five Huskies, talked
to us about putting Kestler in his dog sled team. We wanted to warn him that
Kestler might not be the best choice for his team, but Kestler needed exercise
and I did not want to take him on any more walks. And so we obliged.
After a few months
of training, Racer invited us to go on a dog sled ride to see Kestler in
action. It’s hard to describe how excited the dogs were about getting their
harnesses on and being tied to the sleigh. I remember being pulled by horses on
a wagon, and for them it was obviously work. But the level of excitement was
totally different for these dogs. The dogs took off and I wasn’t prepared for
the jolt. As they began running, it was almost like the jerk of a fast car. As
we rode I stared in amazement at my “dumb dog.” There he was, between the two
lead dogs! The dog I could never control was working in perfect unison
with the other dogs on the team. He listened, he pulled, and he enjoyed
working together with his team. These dogs can pull a sled for 20 miles, and
they love every minute of their job.
Great leaders
have the ability to create and foster great teams.
Have you ever
been part of a great team? A team that utilized your individual strengths and
caused your performance to improve? A team where productivity increased just to
keep up with the other team members? A team where you love coming to work and
every day is an exciting adventure?
In contrast, have
you ever been a part of the Team From Hades? This is the team nobody wants to
be a part of and is full of conflict, disagreements and discontent. Most people
know and have experienced the difference. The contrast is huge.
PS: am scris
textul in limba engleza pentru a pastra farmecul povestii originale
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