The other day I was walking my dog, and we came across a very unusual sight – a cat on a leash. Surreal. I’m sure there are some cat owners out there who will tell me this is possible, but I just thought it was so incongruous. Who puts their cat on a leash? Everyone knows cats do what they want, are aloof, finicky – - they call the shots. And they don’t like leashes.
Needless to say, this cat did not like the leash, and the owner was having a devil of a time trying to convince the cat it would work.
I see leadership parallels in everything, so indulge me here, but how many times as leaders do we try to put a leash on a cat? And this is different than “herding cats” which denotes a certain “Keystone Cops” kind of hilarity. Do we try to control situations and people in ways that just don’t work?
If you feel your team isn’t working to their potential, look inward. Are you possibly leashing cats? Try taking the leash off and unleash their potential!!
