Sunday morning, my pastor shared a dream he had had with the congregation. It went like this:
There was a mature dog with five puppies following it. The lead dog was chasing after a cat.
The pursuit was long and hard. But eventually the dog and the pups pounced on the cat.
Only there was one problem. The cat was not a cat.
It was a skunk!
When the dogs pounced on the skunk, the skunk sprayed the lead dog and the five puppies, covering them in an unbearable stench.
Via Creative Commons
Can you see how this situation might play out in your role as a leader?
The mature dog is a leader that you admire and follow. He knows what he is doing and he does it well. He is chasing the dream!
The puppies are those under the mature leader. It may be you or someone you are leading. You are following under a more mature leader. You know he knows what he is doing. You are more than willing to follow him. And you do.
The skunk, he is the incorrect motivation. He is:
- Glory
- The quick buck
- Indiscretion
In the end, these motivations lead to a breakdown in leadership. People catch onto what you are really after. YOUR OWN NEEDS.
Like the puppies following after the lead dog, you will eventually stink when you follow a leader who chases after the improper motivations.
Instead great leaders chase after real cats:
- Lifting others up
- Moving things forward
- Serving others
- Giving of yourself
- Showing gratefulness
Leaders with these motivating factors are the ones you want to follow after. You want to follow and be taught by someone who has others interests at heart.
If you do not, you will eventually start to stink like the motivations they were chasing after.
Question: Have you ever followed a leader who had the wrong motivations? What were the consequences? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.