Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Leadership vs Teamwork

We talk a lot about leadership these days. And for many years, all of us, including myself, have studied how to be a leader. We not only talk about leadership, regarding people, we talk about leadership regarding dog training.

We are still living in the "Me" generation, when people think too much about themselves and what they want, how they are going to stand out from the rest, what they are going to do for themselves, and telling others what to do. That's not leadership. Parents spoil children by teaching them this kind of thinking, and lead them into all sorts of temptations and tribulations. Husbands neglect and hurt their wives, and wives disrespect and cheat on their husbands with this kind of thinking. Teachers bully or overindulge students with this kind of thinking, and students don't reach their potential. Managers wreck and politicize companies with this kind of thinking. Proper leadership requires team building and guidance. Not everyone on the team is the leader, and in productive teams they work together, not as a group of individuals all thinking of themselves as so-called leaders.

Selfish thinking destroys teams, businesses, relationships, marriages, and families. Selfish thinking is NOT leadership because it rebels
against leadership, and prevents the very results that these people want out of their lives and need from the relationships they have... and they don't understand why.

People don't much understand what it means to be a leader, whether it is leading people or leading dogs. Here's my article on Being A Dog's Pack Leader. I'll have more to say on this, so stay tuned...

Your thoughts?

1 comment:

Meppin said...

Good point
When I was in school we would have these 'sessions' of 'no leader' This was encouraged and enforced via games and activities.

Results: A bully will take charge via snide remarks, and playing people off of each other.
'leaders' were sat out when caught.

At a 'groups dynamic' session job interview (as an adult). in my group everyone was afraid/hesitant to lead in activities. Or even to get on with them. it was really very sad. If anyone did take leader the group would come to a halt and do nothing.