I am in the thick of onboarding our new operations manager, Georgia, and asking myself daily, “How do I want to lead?”  Over the past 20 years, I have played all the roles in my business. Admin, marketing director, negotiator, counselor, accountant, bookkeeper, janitorial services, event planner, stager and everything in between. This is the reality of any small business owner. You do it all to eventually only do what you are the most gifted at. To land and live in what my business coach refers to your “Zone of Genius”.

I am finally ready to let much of it go. To let others grow and thrive in these positions. As I spend hours with Georgia, teaching and sharing all the intimacies of YogaBug, I want so deeply to pass it on well. I’ve been reflecting on the many potent mentors I have had in my life. How did they lead with such grace and power? What I did not expect was a leadership lesson from a pack of dogs.

During my last American Dream shoot, I spent the day with a pack of 11 dogs and their Pack Leader, Toby Joy. Toby owns a business called Wild Pup Adventures where she takes Portland pups on great outdoor excursions each week. The game plan was to meet at a secret lake in the Oregon coastal range where we would go kayaking as the dogs swam and played. I knew that I would have a blast, but I didn’t expect a leadership lesson.

According to a Harvard Business Review article, there are 6 common leadership styles.

• Coercive leadership style, which entails demanding immediate compliance.
• Authoritative leadership style, which is about mobilizing people toward a vision.
• Pacesetting leadership style, which involves expecting excellence and self-direction.
• Affiliative leadership style, which centers around building emotional bonds.
• Democratic leadership style, which involves creating consensus.
• Coaching leadership style, which focuses on developing people for the future.

Experts say that “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

While neither Toby nor her pack graduated from Harvard, the emotional intelligence and dynamics that I witnessed amongst them was profound. I watched her and the pack dynamically demonstrate many of these leadership styles in the short time I spent with them. A few experiences stood out to me.

The Coercive Leader

Uma, a cute pit bull mix, was the perfect example of this style. She demanded being out front during our swim snarling when another dog got too close or tried to get ahead of her. She led with a “stay-in-your-place and do-what-I-say” attitude. Although adorable, Uma was not a natural leader. She reminded me that no one appreciates being “barked at.” This leadership style might be effective in an emergency situation, but otherwise erodes trust and creates division.

The Authoritative Leader

An authoritative leader rallies their pack towards a common goal by setting clear guidelines while simultaneously giving the pack members autonomy to creatively explore and express themselves.

I marveled at Toby’s ability to manage her pack this way. She was laser focused on providing a safe, enriching and satisfying experience for the pack establishing the common goal to have fun and burn off excess energy. While constantly offering direction and encouragement, she gave the dogs an enormous amount of freedom to explore, figure things out and make mistakes. She set a tone and then let the dogs become the leaders of each other.

The Affiliative Leader

Then there was Miss Coco, a happy-go-lucky chocolate lab. She loved climbing on logs and jumping in the water. I watched as the other pups followed her lead repeatedly. She would wait until everyone had climbed up and then would be the first to jump. In the simple act of play, she was encouraging bonding and teamwork.

This joyful experience reminded me that although I could read several New York Times best-selling books on leadership, the most memorable lessons come from opening my eyes to what is before me. My biggest take-aways are simple yet profound.

• Be in the Moment
• Keep It Simple
• Don’t Take Myself too Seriously
• It is About Others and Not Me
• Respect Others
• Humility Rules

We are all leaders in our own right. Whether we are business owners, managers, parents, teachers, volunteers, pet moms and dads. It is all an opportunity to lead. As I step into this next chapter of YogaBug, I aspire to humbly let go of what no longer serves me and offer the experience to others to grow from. To step into my Zone of Genius and offer my clients and community the parts of me that will serve the whole most potently. If you are wondering if I am going away or moving on, the answer is “HELL NO!” What I am doing is stepping in deeper. My hope is that everyone is served from the shift.