• Contact
  • My Account
  • Log In
  • 0Shopping Cart
thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World
  • About
  • Services
  • eLearning
  • Team
  • Blog
  • Clients
  • Books
  • Contact
  • Menu Menu

Build your skills! Take our eLearning courses on TITAN!

World-class eLearning courses with videos, exercises, downloads, and a certificate of completion. Get started today!

Structured Thought: Problem Solving
Structured Thought and Communication
Strategic Business Planning
Principles of Chart Design eLearning Course
Engagement Management
Deliberate Decision Making
Breakthrough Innovation
Everything is Negotiable
Leading through Change
Storytelling for Leaders
Storytelling for Salespeople
Building Leadership Resilience
Compelling Executive Presence
Coaching for Impact
Building Personal Resilience
Building Personal Resilience
Wide Banner SPS
Wide Banner STC
Wide Banner SBP
Wide Banner PCD
Wide Banner ENM
Wide Banner DDM
Wide Banner BTI
Wide Banner EIN
Wide Banner LTC
Wide Banner SFL
Wide Banner SFS
Wide Banner BLR
Wide Banner CEP
Wide Banner CFI
Wide Banner BPR
Wide Banner TMM
previous arrow
next arrow

Why Leaders Should Seek to be the Head of a Dog

November 5, 2014/1 Comment/in Books, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Parenting With a StoryToday’s post is by bestselling author Paul Smith. It’s from his newest book Parenting with a Story: Real-life lessons in character for parents and children to share (CLICK HERE to get your copy). He’s also the author of Lead with a Story – the basis of our course on Influencing through Storytelling.

Renaissance artist Michelangelo once said, “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” It’s echoed in the advice of many Western business leaders that it’s better to set lofty goals even if we don’t achieve them.

But of course, the kind of goals deemed worthy could vary over time and across cultures. In Asia, for example, setting lofty goals and falling short of them might not be what most leaders would call success. In fact, there’s an ancient Chinese saying that it’s “better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.” Let’s look at how that value might play out in someone’s life and career, and then you can decide which is right for you.

Junichi Endo grew up in Saitama City, Japan, about twenty miles north of Tokyo. Like every other student, when he entered O’Hara Junior High School he was encouraged to join one of the extracurricular clubs on campus. Junichi loved baseball in elementary school, so that’s what he signed up for. It’s important to understand that in Japan, baseball was the most popular sport among boys his age. So it attracted the best athletes in the school. The good news was that thirty boys were allowed to join the team, including Junichi. But since only nine can play at any given time, earning a starting position would be difficult. The other thing he discovered was that the first-year players had to collect the senior players’ balls and equipment after practice—something of an initiation ritual.

By the middle of his first season, Junichi had racked up lots of time running drills and picking up after the other players. But he hadn’t seen any actual playing time. That honor went to boys who were bigger and could hit and throw the ball farther. That left Junichi in a quandary. He loved baseball, but he didn’t relish the idea of two more years of sitting on the bench. He was also painfully conscious that in Japan it was considered shameful to quit anything in the middle once you’d decided to do it. He talked to his coach and one of his teachers about his dilemma, and both encouraged him to stay on the team. Despite that guidance, Junichi decided to quit baseball and join the tennis team.

Because tennis was not as popular as baseball, the tennis team only had about ten players. And relative to the baseball team, as Junichi described it, “its performance was quite weak.” But since tennis required more technique and skill than it did power, it suited him better, and his skill grew quickly. His second year he was even elected captain of the team. In that position, he was able to influence the practice routine and tournament schedule. He made adjustments to the training schedule to make the team stronger and added several practice tournaments.

By his third year, his team advanced all the way to the final round in the city tournament and won second place. That meant that for the first time in the school’s history, the tennis team had earned a berth in the district-wide tournament. As for the baseball team that year, in their city tournament “they lost in the first round.”

For Junichi, his time on the tennis team was the greatest experience of leadership he’d had at that point in his life. And it was one he would have almost certainly not had if he’d stayed on the baseball team. That leadership lesson was to become one of many that stayed with Junichi in the decades since and helped lead to many successes. In 2005 he became the youngest senior vice president in the history of Nissan Motors. And now he is the president and CEO of NMKV, a joint venture between Nissan and Mitsubishi, two of the largest and most prestigious Japanese firms today.

It turned out that spending time as the head of a dog in junior high school tennis helped Junichi today become the CEO of a lion.

Paul Smith– Paul Smith is a bestselling author who’s newest book, Parenting with a Story, documents 101 inspiring lessons like this one to help you, and your kids, build the kind of character anyone would be proud of. He’s a former director of consumer research and 20-year-veteran of The Procter & Gamble Company. Today he is a thoughtLEADERS instructor on leadership through storytelling based on his bestselling book Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives that Captivate, Convince, and Inspire. You can find Paul on Twitter as @LeadWithAStory.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

https://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/logo.png 0 0 Mike Figliuolo https://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/logo.png Mike Figliuolo2014-11-05 02:34:312014-10-12 10:51:12Why Leaders Should Seek to be the Head of a Dog
1 reply
  1. RJ Bradner
    RJ Bradner says:
    November 5, 2014 at 8:14 am

    Great message. Many times life beats us down, people pull us down (into their special misery and hell) and the system has the house odds that are stacked against us…or NOT! The only difference between defeat and victory is what transpires in a small 3 pound organ called our brains. The spark that ignites our brains into a wealth of a good life is called optimism. God, family and country are good. Thank you for the reminder Paul.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get free blog posts by email NOW!

It’s the best 5 minutes a week you can spend on your development.

Subscribe HERE!


All Contacts

Get new posts FREE via RSS!
Follow thoughtLEADERS on LinkedInFollow thoughtLEADERS on twitter
This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
 

Check Out Our Courses

Our courses teach immediately applicable skills that have real impact on your business. From leadership to strategy and negotiation to conflict resolution, we have a broad set of course offerings that will drive immediate performance improvements.
OUR COURSES

Our Courses

Group of Business People Meeting
Puzzle Pieces
Glasses Looking Over Cityscape
Doors on a Wall
Cog Wheels
Man Reading Book
Fishing hook in the sea
Microphone in Lecture Hall
Charts on Blue Background
Wristwatch
Exploding Light Bulb
Man on Summit of Mountain
Lightning Bolts
Man Painting the Word Change on a Wall
Construction Cranes
Plant Growing in a Hand
High Performance Gears
Men Shaking Hands Closeup
Influence Definition
Sailboat at Sunset
Hanging light bulbs with glowing one isolated on dark blue background
Wagon Wheel
Executive Communications
Structured Problem Solving
Creating Leadership Maxims
Leading inside the Box
Deliberate Decision Making
Simple Strategic Planning
Storytelling for Leaders
Storytelling for Sales
Executive Presence
Principles of Chart Design
Time Management Mastery
Breakthrough Innovation
Leadership Resilience
Conflict Resolution
Leading through Change
Project Management Reality
Coaching for Impact
High Performing Teams
Everything is Negotiable
Leading with Influence
Building Personal Resilience
thoughtLEADERSHIP
Engagement Management
previous arrow
next arrow
 

eLearning Courses on TITAN

Structured Thought: Problem Solving
Puzzle Pieces
Structured Thought: Problem Solving

Clearly define a problem, scope all issues related to the problem, generate potential solutions, then analyze and select the best solution by using time-tested critical thinking methods and tools.

VIEW COURSE
Structured Thought and Communication
Group of Business People Meeting
Structured Thought and Communication

Craft clear and compelling recommendations that resonate with stakeholders. Get your ideas approved by using a proven method for delivering executive-level communications.

VIEW COURSE
Principles of Chart Design
Different Types of Line and Bar Charts
Principles of Chart Design

Create well-designed presentation charts that get your message across quickly and clearly to drive your audience to action. From data charts to concept charts, these methods help make your point.

VIEW COURSE
Engagement Management
Wagon Wheel
Engagement Management

Whether you’re an internal or external consultant or a project leader, learn proven methods, techniques, and processes to effectively lead consulting engagements that drive your client’s success.

VIEW COURSE
Strategic Business Planning
Cog Wheels
Strategic Business Planning

Use a straightforward and effective strategic planning process that shows how to craft a clear, compelling plan for your organization - not just one time, but on an ongoing basis year after year.

VIEW COURSE
Deliberate Decision Making
Deliberate Decision Making
Deliberate Decision Making

Make better, faster, and more effective decisions. Apply simple yet powerful decision making tools to define decision authority, manage risk, increase accountability, and drive execution.

VIEW COURSE
Everything is Negotiable
Men Shaking Hands
Everything is Negotiable

Become a better negotiator in all situations – from day to day interactions to hammering out large deals. Build the skills required to get what you want and strengthen relationships while you do.

VIEW COURSE
Breakthrough Innovation
Exploding Lightbulb
Breakthrough Innovation

Generate and select unique strategies that separate you from the competition. Construct bold and disruptive solutions then build and execute a plan for taking those strategies to market.

VIEW COURSE
Storytelling for Leaders
Man reading stories from a book
Storytelling for Leaders

Create business stories that inspire people, build connections with your audience, and ultimately advance your organization's goals by using a repeatable, straightforward method.

VIEW COURSE
Storytelling for Salespeople
Storytelling for Salespeople
Storytelling for Salespeople

Create and deliver stories that will take your sales efforts to the next level. Connect with and convince buyers in all situations using memorable stories. These stronger relationships drive more sales.

VIEW COURSE
Leading through Change
Leading through Change
Leading through Change

Lead your organization through the most challenging times using a proven change management process. Get people through the change and back to driving performance quickly and effectively.

VIEW COURSE
Building Leadership Resilience
Mountain Climbing Expedition
Building Leadership Resilience

Prepare your body and brain to be ready for and recover from your biggest challenges. Build approaches for overcoming stress, managing reactions to difficult events, and leading more effectively.

VIEW COURSE
Compelling Executive Presence
Compelling Executive Presence
Compelling Executive Presence

Build your ability to connect with your audience and convey your ideas in a clear and resonant way. Create meaningful connections between you and your audience to build buy-in.

VIEW COURSE
Coaching for Impact
Plant Growing in a Hand
Coaching for Impact: Foundation Course

Coach employees for performance and development more effectively by helping them identify and pursue their own solutions. Create the right environment and conditions to help them grow.

VIEW COURSE
Building Personal Resilience
Boat at Sunset
Building Personal Resilience

Build the habits and learn the behaviors required to manage stress, deal with adversity, and maintain your physical and mental wellbeing. Personal resilience is a key to your ongoing success.

VIEW COURSE
Time Management Mastery
Watches
Time Management Mastery

Learn techniques to manage your time, delegate, say “no,” and be more efficient. Balance your limited supply of time with the overwhelming demands that are placed on you every day.

VIEW COURSE
previous arrow
next arrow

Books You MUST Read

The Elegant Pitch
One Piece of Paper by Mike Figliuolo
Lead Inside the Box
10 Stories Great Leaders Tell
Getting Ahead
Sell with a Story
Lead with a Story
Mastering Communication at Work
The Hook
Innovative Leadership Fieldbook
Innovative Leaders Guide to Transforming Organizations
The Three Commitments of Leadership
The Littlest Green Beret
Storytelling in the Land of Oz
The Camino Way
The Inner Matrix book
The Vision Code
The Most Unlikely Leader
The Leader with a Thousand Faces
The Elegant Pitch
One Piece of Paper by Mike Figliuolo
Lead Inside the Box
10 Stories Great Leaders Tell
Getting Ahead
Sell with a Story - Border
Lead with a Story
Leading from Your Best Self
Mastering Communication at Work
The Hook
Innovative Leadership Fieldbook
Innovative Leaders Guide to Transforming Organizations
20120318 Three Commitments
Leadership Vertigo
The Littlest Green Beret
Storytelling in the Land of Oz
The Camino Way
Hijacked by Your Brain
Outthink the Competition
Driving Innovation from Within
The Inner Matrix
The Vision Code
The Most Unlikely Leader
The Leader with a Thousand Faces
previous arrow
next arrow
  • The Elegant Pitch
  • The Vision Code
  • The Inner Matrix
  • The Most Unlikely Leader
  • The Leader with a Thousand Faces

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Categories

Our Course Offerings

Leadership Skills

Creating Your Leadership Maxims
Leading Inside the Box
Leading With Influence
Leading Through Change
Structured Problem Solving
Deliberate Decision Making
High Performing Teams
Simplified Strategic Planning
Strategic Business Planning
Coaching for Impact: Foundations
Coaching for Impact: Applications
Building Leadership Resilience
Engagement Management
Project Management Reality

Communication Skills

Communications: Foundations
Communications: Applications
Principles of Chart Design
Strategic Client Engagement
Storytelling for Leaders
Storytelling for Salespeople
Compelling Executive Presence
Advanced Facilitation Skills

Individual Skills

Conflict Resolution
Everything is Negotiable
thoughtLEADERSHIP: Innovation
Building Personal Resilience
Time Management Mastery

Coaching & Consulting

©2023 thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World. thoughtLEADERS, LLC is a registered trademark of thoughtLEADERS, LLC.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
3 Steps to Hating Your Job Less How often do you overcommit yourself and your team?
Scroll to top