Years ago someone asked me why with a master’s degree in ecology, I was interested in personal development? It didn’t take me long to reply “Because I need it.” There is a saying that we teach what we need most. That may or may not be true. I think we often teach what we are passionate about and we are passionate about what we pursue. For me I want to constantly be a better person. I want to live a full life of absorbing all the magic of the world and helping those around me have the best time we can together as they work to achieve their goals. That takes motivation, skills, and a certain amount of vision.

A Vision of Leadership

After living this way, I realized that is what leadership is all about. It is about having a vision, building skills, motivating, walking the talk, following up, and keeping positive. It is really the same thing whether you are leading yourself or leading others, because leading is not about having followers, but engaged participants.

I have to say, being a public speaker and coach who helps others with these things, the biggest thing I have to come to terms with is that my vision is different than the societal norm, and that is okay. If you are engaging in the Animal Leadership message, then maybe it is because it is a little different and that appeals to you too. For me, I don’t have the goal of making gazillions of dollars, living in a fat spread in L.A., and traveling the world constantly. I don’t mind studying the principles taught by those who have achieved these things, but I want to apply them to my own life, my own vision. For me that means having lots of time to get out in nature and almost do nothing, time to play with horses, time to be around my family and most importantly my little kiddos.

Don’t Let Others Dictate Your Vision

The reason I share all this with you is because all too often we let others dictate our vision of what the world should be. Often this is unconscious. We simply start to emulate those around us. This can be a very important part of self-improvement (or a very negative one), but that is not what we are talking about here. I am trying to drive home the point that you have to decide how you want to live your life, run your business and then, we must walk that talk.
Does this mean that you have to be some unorthodox outsider? No. When Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google there was not a huge model out there for how they should run their company, but the decision to make Yoshka, the “company dog” part of their culture was only the beginning of how this company decided its own corporate culture. Now Google is a model for how progressive companies treat employees and do business.

So what I want for you, is that you feel comfortable deciding what sort of life you want to create. What sort of business you want to run. Then go out and do it the best you can. Go out and really embrace it. Be the leader that gets it done. Get motivated to do what it takes, build the skills you need, embrace others who are up for the same ride, walk the talk, and move positively in the direction you want to go.

I hope the Animal Leadership message helps you whether it is making a gazillions dollars, building better corporate team players, losing five pounds, or getting involved by serving your community more. I think the world will be a better place if we really break out of the mold and bring our uniqueness to its fullest. That is why I teach personal development. I need it for myself and need it for others too. So, as the great naturalist philosopher Henry David Thorough (who, by the way, spent a lot of time just wandering around in the woods) “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.”

Engage us by letting us know what you think. What are your dreams and what tools do you need to live that life?

Until next time,
Rad