A Pack of Mild Dogs

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything here, but it's been a busy summer. I didn't take the time to write and you probably wouldn't have taken the time to read if I had. But now school is back in and most things have returned to normal or some reasonable facsimile thereof so I thought I would write about something I saw the other day that really got me to thinking.

Last week I got to work early and went up to the church to get some things before coming back to the office. As I was coming back to my car, I noticed a pack of dogs crossing the parking lot. At first I was nervous because I know that when dogs form a pack like that, even in a residential area, they can become aggressive. I've heard stories about packs of dogs attacking and killing livestock. But, my fears subsided when I noticed that there was an obvious leader to this pack. There was a dog out front whom the others followed. When he turned, they turned. When he stopped to sniff the air, they stopped. When he licked his butt, ...well, you get the idea. The leader was a basset hound. Yes, this was a pack of mild dogs. It seemed as though the entire pack had assumed at least part of the personality of their leader.

When I saw this, it got me to thinking about some of the leaders I've served under and even my own leadership style. Here's a couple of types I've ran across over the years and characteristics I've seen in myself.

• The chihuahua - Have you ever seen a leader that tried to lead out of pure noise? All they do is bark, but when it comes time to make a tough decision or hold someone accountable, they hide under the couch.
• The pit bull - Some people try to lead out of intimidation. They keep their subordinates in a constant state of fear that they will be ridiculed in front of their peers, lose their job, or worse yet, have to change toners in the copy machine.
• The lab - Some leaders try to make everyone happy and be everyone's friend. They are fun loving, but are usually so personally involved with their subordinates, that tough decisions aren't objective and leave a wake of hurt and bitterness.

John Maxwell says that leadership is nothing more than influence. If you are leading and no one is following, you are simply out for a walk. I heard it put another way by a dad who was trying to develop leadership skills in his son in the Boy Scouts. He said, "Son, don't make the other scouts help you. Make them want to help you."

So what kind of leader are you? What kind of leaders have you served under?