LeadershipAugust 4, 2024

How My Dream Career Inspired My Dream Dog

Big Plans

When I got my dog Finn I had big plans. We were going to walk, hike, swim. We would be an active team. I wanted a dog that could join in the activities that I like to do. Well, we aren’t there yet. Finn is very strong and I don’t feel like I can walk him in big crowds or with a lot of other dogs. He loves people and dogs, but can be a bit of a bull in a china shop. So we haven’t hiked or swam yet. We don’t go to restaurants with him sitting at my feet and being chill….yet.

I could just give up and the dog he is now will be the dog he is going to be. Which isn’t bad, he is a good dog. But he isn’t the “dream dog” I imagined.

Dream Career

 It can be the same with your nonprofit career. Your dream career may not be here yet, but you have imagined it. Have you stopped and decided that the career you have is good enough? Or do you still think about the “dream” career?

Finn and I have been working with a trainer to keep me focused on the work that it takes to get a dream dog. I have learned, while some of it is in the breed, the hardest part is in the training. It will take Finn and I building a trusting relationship to get to the dream dog state. Our goal? To go to dog beach and Finn swims in the ocean and comes back when I call him instead of swimming out to sea, which is what I imagine him doing now. The trainer says we can get there. It is hard for me to imagine, but I want it for him and for me.

Coaches Can Help with Dreams

When I got stuck in my career I leaned on mentors and coaches to help me get to my dream. It is hard to do it on your own. Coaches for nonprofit leaders can make a difference for your organization. Don’t give up on your dream. Find someone to help you imagine the impossible and help you get there. I know what it takes to manage a successful career in nonprofit leadership. I also know how to find the parts that make you jump out of bed in the morning and how to fill more of your days with those moments.

Give me a call, let’s talk about how to work on making your dream career a reality.

Finn and I are rooting for you!

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LeadershipJuly 22, 2024

What I Learned About Being a Leader from My Dog

I have a two year old Labrador named Finn.  He is the first dog I have raised on my own.  I used positive reinforcement to potty train him, sit, lay down, etc.  He does so many things well, but he is definitely in charge and I needed to fix that. He weighs 85 pounds and he can pull me around on a leash. He or I were going to get hurt if I didn’t so something more.

We Needed Training  

We had a close call that scared me and I decided I needed some additional training.  I, needed additional training.  I am sure you have heard that dogs need an Alpha.  You can find a lot of information to support or deny that.  It became very clear to me through the trainer I chose that I was not the Alpha dog.  

I had heard that term, but I didn’t really know what it meant.  I feed him, walk him, love him and take care of his needs.  The trainer actually said I was a pushover.  What? I wasn’t the Alpha and Finn knew it. 

The trainer was an Alpha.  Finn reacted to him so much differently than he reacted to me. I saw what a change in my behavior could do for Finn and me.

Leadership and Dogs

I have been a leader throughout my career.  I have led teams as an Executive Director for nonprofit organizations of all sizes.  I have led the team and individuals to success. 

I would consider myself a leader, but I never liked the word Boss.  (Sounds like Alpha, huh?).  So when the trainer said I needed to lead, I thought, OK. I’ve got this. 

But the way I lead teams is not what a dog needs.  He doesn’t want consensus building, he doesn’t get a say because I know what is best for him as a dog.  But, can you really do that with people?  No.  

So I never learned how to be an Alpha as a leader of my team. I lead by example. I build teams who know that I will be there for them. I helped align their success, I helped make hard decisions for the greater good, I kept the needs of the team above all else.

What Does Your Team (or Dog) Need?  

My dog needs someone to teach him discipline.  He needs help to be the best dog he can be.  He needs tough love.  He needs me to put his greater good above all else.  Do I need to use different tools to do that for him?  Yes.  But I can do it.  I can be an Alpha dog for him and a great leader of people also.  

What kind of leader are you?  Are you the same with people as you are with your dog? 

PS. I’ll keep you posted on how Finn and I are doing.

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