Dog Collar Conditioning. By Lee Colan, Ph.D.

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I was taking a long walk with our small family dog, Sparky, after a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Not sure who needed the exercise more. Although it was a well-worn path for both of us, this particular walk taught me a lesson about my dog and about me.

Sparky is a great dog (and that’s coming from a guy who is relatively new at pet ownership), but he is not a particularly well-trained dog. That’s a direct result of having a poorly trained owner. As a result, we have to be careful about leaving doors and gates open or Sparky will run like the wind.

This walk started off like business as usual (if you know what I mean). Then Sparky decided to continue his sniffing in one spot a little too long, so I gave the leash a gentle tug. As I learned later, Sparky’s dog collar had been loosened just one notch while he was at the vet’s office the day before. So this time when I tugged, his little head popped right out of the leash and he was free to roam, run, skedaddle or run like the wind!

But Sparky just sat there looking up at me, seemingly trapped. In reality he was as free as he had ever been. It was like a smorgasbord of all the smells and critters he could sniff and chase… a canine buffet! But Sparky stood still, paralyzed by the unknown of this freedom. He willingly let me reaffix his dog collar, allowing him to assume his normal comfort zone.

Hmmm, I thought. How many times have I stayed within my own self-imposed boundaries? Probably more often than I’d like to admit. How about you?

I see this “dog collar conditioning” frequently in the workplace. Leaders’ boundaries are usually much wider than their team’s perception of those boundaries. In other words, we often condition ourselves to live and work in a smaller world because of our own limiting thoughts. We typically have more control and freedom than we think.

Our biggest barriers to greater success and freedom are not “out there.” They are “in here” (Lee pointing to his head). To realize our potential, we must re-condition our thinking to stretch beyond the boundaries of our own comfort.

Remember, growth and learning occurs when we are uncomfortable. So, take off your “mental dog collar” and explore new limits of success!

Lee J. Colan, Ph.D. is President of The L Group, Inc., a Dallas, Texas-based consulting firm. Lee’s passion for serving leaders enables him to deliver cut-through-the-clutter tools that elevate leaders and their teams. He is a high-energy leadership advisor, author and leadership expert. He has built a track record of successfully managing the challenges of rapid organizational change. Lee possesses an in-depth understanding of business, people and organizations. He blends this understanding with his corporate management experience to help leaders and companies grow.