To enable the team at HR Blueprints to enjoy a more of the fall Diesel, the office Great Dane, offered to be the guest blogger and share his leadership advice with the pack. Here are his top 8 rules:
(Editor's note - we recommend Diesel's rules be read allegorically not literally for humans.)
1. Wag your tail. Show others you love life and that you are happy to see them. Others will like being around you too and be more likely to follow you.
2. Sniff before you judge. Just because you think you know the other perspective and viewpoint doesn't mean you do. Take time to sniff out where others are coming from.
3. Play. Every good pack leader knows the importance of being able to play with the team as well as lead it. A pack needs to have fun to be cohesive. Go chase a ball with the pack!
4. Become an expert in body language. Know how to use and read body language to convey and understand emotion. Leaders need to demonstrate both high IQ and EQ.
5. Accept hierarchy. The only way to grow in a pack is to learn to keep the Alphas content. Unnecessarily challenging of authority will get you kicked out of the pack. Instead, work with the Alphas to create lasting change for the pack.
6. Curl your lip and show your teeth as a warning before you bite. Sometimes leaders have to fight to protect the pack. Before you take aggressive action make sure you have first given fair warning and provided a chance for the other side to retreat.
7. Move on after a scuffle. Everyone has a bad day. If someone snaps, it's ok to tell them you don't appreciate their behaviour but don't hold a grudge. Leaders forgive and give trust to get trust.
8. Take a walk outside every day. We all need to smell the flowers, feel the sunshine and run on the grass daily. Take a walk to clear your head and think about all of the great things in your life. Best of all, be sure to always take a friend on your walk!