Last week I told you about how my experience raising sheep at Pemberley Farm is challenging my perspectives on leading people.
I shared these three photos.
And these leadership questions
- Can I identify and remove obstacles between my employees and the resources they need to be successful?
- Are some of my team members blocking others from getting what they need?
- Do I fully understand why my team members are doing what they’re doing?
If you missed last week’s article, you can read it here. One of the main takeaways was an encouragement to stay curious and open-minded. Talk with your people so you can learn all you can about them and from them.
I ended by explaining that we all have biases that shape how we think and act, and I told you that this would raise another question.
Here it is:
Are we letting appearance influence how we treat the people on our team?
As you consider this question, take a moment to look at another picture I took of the sheep at the water tank.
This is Martin, our Babydoll lamb, again.
I introduced you to him last week by pointing out that Georgiana and several of the other Valais Blacknose ewes were blocking his access to the big water tank, a critical resource he needed on this sweltering day.
And here’s another photo of Georgie.
Before I continue, I’d like you to take a moment and think about the feelings you’re having about Martin and Georgiana right now.
Do you feel more affection toward one than the other?
If you were in the pasture standing by the water tank with me, would you want to walk toward one of them but feel like backing away from the other?
What’s your attitude toward Martin having that red 5-gallon bucket of water in front of him while the big VBNs are gathered around the metal stock tank?
I’m not suggesting that there are any right or wrong answers here.
You feel how you feel.
Here are some of the feelings I had about Georgie when we first brought her and the rest of the flock to Pemberley Farm.
I was intimidated. Her horns alone made me want to give her space. And I wasn’t sure what to make of how she looked at me.
That wasn’t the case with Martin.
Kiersten and I were in the barn right beside (and inside) Lucy as she gave birth to him. He’s small now but he was tiny then. And, by the way, he’s about five months old now and about as tall as he’s going to get.
Does Martin intimidate me?
No. Not at all.
He’s a dense little guy, so he’s heavier than you might think. But I can still pick him up and carry him to the barn without straining my 56-year-old back muscles too much.
And just look at him.
I can’t help but think one of the things you were feeling earlier was related to his appearance.
But the picture of Georgiana might have prompted a very different response.
Like me, you may also have been a bit intimidated by her horns and cautious based on the look in her eyes as she’s staring into the camera.
This picture doesn’t capture her stature as well as the ones I shared last week, but you can still see that Georgie is a big girl.
I’m not picking her up to move her across the pasture, even if I were a few decades younger.
Martin and Georgiana look very different from each other.
But they are both still our sheep.
And they both deserve the very best care we can give them.
That’s why I made sure Martin had a bucket of water he could drink from without being blocked by the other sheep.
Not because he’s cute and I’ve been with him for every day of his life.
But because he needed this resource to thrive.
The same principle applies to every person on your team.
You don’t withhold what a team member needs because of the way they look.
You don’t give preferential treatment to the person you’ve hired and trained since they were a college intern compared to the experienced new hire who just joined your team.
You treat your people with equal respect.
Does that mean you give everyone the same resources?
No. Not always.
Sometimes an employee needs a special red 5-gallon bucket to meet their need and sometimes they’re fine using the same stock tank as their teammates.
You don’t assume that the big, tough-looking person who reports to you doesn’t need a kind word of encouragement.
You recognize that every person needs to know their work is seen and appreciated.
It’s important that they know you care about them as an individual.
Curiosity is a good way to avoid initial impressions that may not be accurate. Like I first had about Georgiana before I really got to know her.
And, going back to the queen bee of our flock, here’s what I’ve learned about her.
Of course I do need to respect her size, weight, and horns because of the physics of the situation.
But she no longer intimidates me.
In fact, she’s one of the most affectionate sheep we have and she’s frequently by our side wanting our attention.
This picture captures another side of her that you might not expect from the image above.
So, as you consider your “flock” entrusted to your care, I encourage you to continue to treat every person you lead with respect and give them the attention they need.
Whether they remind you of Martin or Georgie, they’re valuable human beings. You serve them well when you give each of them the care and attention they need.
Helping you lead with clarity and confidence,
Greg
P.S. If you’ve ever wanted to be on more podcasts, check this out. It’s a fantastic opportunity.
My friend Dustin Riechmann is putting on a live 3-day sprint called Booked & Paid.
Dustin’s built two seven-figure businesses through podcast guesting. In this event, he’s going to guide you through how to get started (and no, a big audience is not required).
Since you’re part of my community, you get access for just $7!
Click here to check dates & more details.
Here’s what you’ll do during the 3-day sprint:
- Day 1: Positioning and show list. Find 10+ podcast hosts that would love to have you on their show & that reach your ideal clients.
- Day 2: Pitches in motion. Write and send personalized, value-first invites to ideal podcast hosts.
- Day 3: Path to revenue. Create a repeatable, scalable plan for turning interviews into clients and partners.
You’ll keep the replays, slides, templates, AI prompts, action items, and bonus live Q&A for life.
The public ticket is $97. My audience gets access for $7.
All you have to do is use BNPGREG at checkout and it’ll give you the $90 discount!
LEARN MORE + RESERVE YOUR SEAT
I’ve done a similar event with Dustin and it was outstanding. I’m planning to join this sprint too so let me know if you have any questions.
If you’d like to see any of my previous newsletter issues, you can find them here along with other articles. And, if you’re not getting my weekly newsletter and would like to, just enter your info here.
Greg Harrod
Greg Harrod is a Business Coach and Strategic Communications Partner. Follow GregHarrod.com to learn how you can build clear communication, aligned teams, and simple rhythms so your business runs smoothly. Greg will help you learn how to go from daily firefighting to calm, confident leadership by sharing his 30+ years of experience leading teams and businesses.
A quick note about affiliates
Some of the pages on my website contain affiliate links to products, apps, and services. If you click through and purchase, I may receive a commission on the sale and you pay no more. My policy is to only affiliate with products and services that I believe will provide value to you.