What My Dogs Have Taught Me About Leadership

I’ve had a lot of great leadership mentors over the years. Coaches, authors, and a handful of extraordinary bosses who shaped how I think. I’m grateful for every one of them.

But some of my best lessons have come from a different source. Four legs. A wagging tail. And zero interest in my credentials.

Here’s what our dogs have taught me.

Lesson 1: Show Up Every Single Time

Every time Lynn or I walk through the door, our Goldens show up with the same enthusiasm, the same energy, the same delight. Whether we’ve been gone three hours or three minutes. No grudges. No Monday attitude.

Fellow leader, your team is watching how consistently you show up. Not just physically. Emotionally. The leader who is warm and engaged one day and distant the next erodes trust fast. Consistency isn’t flashy, but it becomes the bedrock of everything.

People follow leaders they can count on.

Lesson 2: Loyalty Has to Be Earned, Not Assumed

Redford, our rescued Golden, came to us from a puppy mill. He was cautious. Watchful. Not sure if this new place was safe. It took time and consistent love before he decided we were worth following. When he finally did, his loyalty was deep and unwavering.

The leaders I’ve seen struggle most are the ones who assume loyalty comes with the title. It doesn’t. A position gets you a seat at the table. It doesn’t get you the hearts of your people.

Real loyalty is built through showing up, following through, and genuinely caring. Don’t take it for granted.

Lesson 3: Know What You Were Made For

Traveler, our rescued cattle dog, needs a job. It’s not a preference; it’s how he’s wired. Without purpose, he gets restless and loud.

Sound like anyone on your team?

One of the most common leadership failures I see: gifted people in the wrong roles. A natural encourager buried in solo data entry. A strategic thinker drowning in administrative work. When people aren’t doing what they were made to do, you’ll see it in their disengagement and frustration. Great leaders figure out what their people were built for, then do everything they can to put them there.

Lesson 4: Presence Is a Form of Leadership

When I sit down after a long day, our dogs don’t need me to perform. They just want me to be there. They settle at my feet, and something in the room shifts.

How many times have we “been” in a meeting while mentally somewhere else entirely, half-reading an email, drafting our response before the other person finishes talking?

Presence is a discipline. It says: you matter enough for my full attention. In a distracted world, that is increasingly rare and increasingly powerful.

Lesson 5: Forgiveness Is Not Optional

Dogs forgive fast. I can come home grumpy and within minutes they’ve moved on. No score-keeping. No silent treatment.

Leaders who hold grudges become toxic over time, because unforgiveness slowly poisons the culture. People can feel when their leader hasn’t really let something go.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean ignoring problems. It means choosing not to lead out of resentment, and treating each new day as a fresh start.

Fellow leader, the lessons are everywhere if we’re paying attention. Sometimes they come from books and mentors. And sometimes they come from a cattle dog who just wants to do his job, a puppy mill survivor who taught us what real trust looks like, or two Goldens who think your arrival home is the greatest event of the day.

Don’t miss the classroom right in front of you.

Reflection Questions

1. How consistently are you showing up, emotionally, not just physically, for your team?

2. Are your people in roles that align with what they were genuinely built for?

3. Is there someone on your team you haven’t fully forgiven, and how might that be affecting your leadership?

4. When did you last give someone your complete presence in a conversation?