The Pigs get in your way. They snort and squeal for attention, distract, confuse, and diminish your ability to attract your people and results. In Pass the Pig, Anne Lakusta, a business and leadership coach, shows you how to pass the pig and maximize your leadership potential.
Leadership by Attraction embraces the reality that people work for their own dreams and are increasingly likely to pursue them elsewhere if necessary.
Leadership by Attraction: Four Pigs to Watch Out For
Pig #1 The Ping-Pong
Hangs around those who say:
- I can’t do one more thing!
- I’m working as hard as I can!
- I need my to-do list!
Ping-Pong is a nasty one, wanted for hogging attention. It’s a real sneaky pig with a million disguises. He always seems to be the loudest and most pressing in the room, and he’ll never hesitate to eat your energy without moving you ahead.
Do not confuse movement with progress. Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you’re benign productive. Analyze your time, and you may find that most of it is spent worrying about being busy, feeling burdened by being busy or thinking about being busy. We all have a limited amount of time each day, and we must decide to spend it on stuff that matters to us.
Pig #2 The Party-Pooper
Hangs around those who say:
- Happy Friday!
- As soon as this class is over, I’ll go have fun.
- If we need to have fun, just plan a happy hour.
Party-Pooper always plans things because he has always done that way or he feels he has to. He shows up but he seems boring and happy not to be there at all. He squeals and snorts that fun is separate from work, confident that fun should never interfere with work.
Attractive leaders have fun. Of course, every day doesn’t need to be a load of laughs and all tasks don’t need to be fun. However, fun is important and often necessary for great results. The words ‘work’ and ‘fun’ are not antonyms. As Zig Ziglar famously said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.”
Pig #3 The Parked-Pig
Hangs around those who say:
- I don’t care anymore.
- I just want my paycheck.
- I’m counting down to the day I can leave.
Parked-Pig is wanted for loitering. He is uninspired and unwilling to get a move on. He wants to do as little as possible to get through and may even think everyone feels that way. He poisons contentment, turning it into settling.
You cannot be a distant leader, even though you may be leading virtually. Distance expands when you realize you’re only showing up for a paycheck. Maybe you have no interest in the common goal. Maybe you have no energy left to get ahead. Attractive leaders don’t leave us bored, frustrated, underutilized and underchallenged. They’re going through the motions and always show up with caring, talents and passion.
Pig #4 The Pile-It-On Pig
Hangs around those who say:
- I can do it better.
- I can do it faster.
- I don’t have time to find someone else.
Pile-It-On Pig is wanted for digging where it’s not wanted and claiming everything for himself. He’s territorial and never sees a task it shouldn’t own. He breathes fear as there will never be enough time and money for him. He doesn’t have the humility to get help either.
Attractive leaders surround themselves with equally strong people to grow together and achieve results. They surround themselves with people who don’t wait for orders, who accept responsibilities, not just tasks. They keep attracting and developing talents even though it’s time-consuming and even though people can disappoint them along the way. And they do so religiously because they believe that big goals and visions require more than just themselves.