The outcome of people looking up leadership on Google is normally about direction, influence, etc. I believe the leadership concept can be broken down into more doable principles. And you don’t have to be a manager to practice your leadership skills.
I have an unneutered male dog almost 2 years old in the adolescent age. Shiba Inu is notoriously known to be aloof, stubborn, over-reactive, and runaway off leash. The breed is generically proven to be the closest to the wolves, and most alienated to the appearing of the first domesticated dog; thus called a basal breed. In order to train my dog, I have to make him see me as a worthy leader of the wolf-pack.
There are the 10 leadership principles I utilize to train my dog:
- Leaders are confident. When I give my dog instructions. I always keep my voice short and firm. The unambiguity helps my dog to know what I want.
- Leaders are consistent. When I expect my dog to behave one way, I insist the same thing to happen in all situations and all times. There is another saying that I really liked: ‘How you do one thing is how you do everything’.
- Leaders are to be followed. Like how my dog follows me everywhere towards a purposed destination. All my moves and moods are under his watch. When I stop at a friend, my dog would lose the purpose and start wondering around. Therefore, leaders always need to provide clear purpose.
- Leaders are dominant. The dominant wolf in a wolf pack is the strongest, and will be replaced or challenged otherwise.
- Leaders set clear rewards and punishments. Every dog is motivated by something. It could be food, toy, or play time. Dogs constantly weigh the rewards to their likeness, and do their best to obtain what motivates them the most. If I keep rewarding my dog with a snack he is not so interested to, I am indulging him to do what he thinks is the best for himself.
- Leaders need to be focused by others. My dog only understands me only if he stares into my eye when I give an instruction. If my dog is distracted, a leader needs to acknowledge and address it before getting the focus back.
- Leaders are calm and calming in all crisis. Every time my dog walks by another dog on the street, he thinks there is a huge crisis. I need to keep myself relaxed first. Then, calm my dog verbally and keep a loose leash. Finally I try to walk in between the dogs to show that I am protective and responsible for his safety.
- Leaders need to respect others. My dog loves to sniff around and pee on every pole he finds. I simply let him to do it because I respect how dogs think with their nosies, and sometimes need to do their own things. That way I get the equal respect when I tell him to do my things.
- Communication is key to leadership. I talk to my dog all the time on a run or walk. I tell him what I want and he would always respond things for me to pick up.
- Leaders keep things positive. The state of mind will infuse an intangible impact in you. My dog comes to me more often when I call him nicely. If he does something I want after a terrible behavior, I praise him. If he barks, I tell him to shush quietly as I don’t want him to pick up my yelling and mimics after.
