CEO Coaching: Four Legged Motivation
Yesterday, as I looked out my home office window, I spotted a young, energetic black Labrador zigzagging across my neighbor’s yard. Nose to the ground, she was clearly on a mission.
Ten minutes later, my wife came upstairs and asked me to check out a different window. There, perched 15 feet in the air, was our oldest cat, Ike. The poor guy had been “treed” by the dog. (That’s him up there in the circle.)
Ike is 17 years old, arthritic, and only has back claws. The young Labrador had provided powerful motivation for him to scale that tree. Unfortunately, his motivation didn’t extend to figuring out how to get back down. Enter me, the voluntold rescuer.
Out came the extension ladder. Up I went. Ike greeted me with a look that screamed, “What the hell are you doing up here!?” I assessed the possible outcomes:
- I drop Ike, resulting in a damaged cat and an unforgiving spouse.
- I fall, resulting in a broken hip and a damaged cat.
- I somehow manage to grab him without losing an eye and get us both down safely.
Thankfully, door number three prevailed.
As I made my precarious descent, our neighbor opened her window, either to cheer me on or to witness my potential demise, and my wife commented to her, “The poor old guy must be scared to death!” I’m still not sure whether she meant Ike or me.
The Lesson?
Let’s be clear—this was no heroic moment on my part. If my wife had been out of town, Ike might still be up there. (We have a “spare” cat named Iris.)
But the episode got me thinking: sometimes, you just have to do things you don’t want to do. Ike hadn’t climbed a tree in seven years, but in that moment, it was his only option.
As for me, I could’ve called the fire department. But with a firefighter son, the embarrassment would’ve been unbearable. So, up the ladder I went.
Motivation Comes in Many Forms
Right now, I’ve got a table full of fly-tying materials behind me, calling my name. I’m looking forward to tying some saltwater patterns for an upcoming trip to Mexico—maybe even with a cold beer in hand. But instead, I’m at my desk, checking things off my to-do list.
Sometimes motivation comes in unexpected forms. In this case, it came in the shape of a four-legged black Labrador. And you know what? I’m grateful for it.
So, whatever ladder you’re staring at today—just climb it.
coaches CEOs to higher levels of success. He is a former CEO and has led teams as large as 7,000 people. Todd is the author of, Never Kick a Cow Chip On A Hot Day: Real Lessons for Real CEOs and Those Who Want To Be (Morgan James Publishing).
Connect with Todd on LinkedIn, Twitter, call 303-527-0417 or email [email protected].
