Our first dog, Abby, came to live with us twenty-two years ago. Since then, as I’ve raised dogs, and kids, and taught college students, and led teams, I’ve seen a lot of similarities in what works . Our most recent puppy came to live with us on June 24, briefly offsetting the dismay of that day. And so here I am, with a new puppy in the house, and it’s staring me in the face all over again: Everything you need to know about leadership you can learn from training puppies. Here are the 10 lessons I think are most important.

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Here’s this episode at a glance:

>>1:50. Welcome to Archibald McBacon VII!

>> 4:41. Lesson #1: Set the boundaries that matter to you.

>> 10:26. Lesson #2: Lead with kindness.

>> 15:42. Lesson #3: Recognition is everything.

>> 19:36. Lesson #4: Trust precedes loyalty.

>> 24:14. Lesson #5: Communicate clearly and consistently.

>> 28:07. Lesson #6: Value playtime.

>> 31:20. Lesson #7: You need rest.

>> 37:17. Lesson #8: Delicious food is a terrific motivator.

>> 40:39. Lesson #9: Respond flexibly to the behavior in front of you.

>> 43:41. Lesson #10: The rewards are endless.

>> 45:45. Unexpected PostScript. 🐾 🧡 🐾

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Show Notes And Extra Reading & Resources

The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M. R. Covey.

“Games Deliver Engagement and Academic Performance.”

Sarah Hodgson, @Sarah Says Pets.

“Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases.” World Health Organization.

“Insufficient Sleep Predicts Clinical Burnout.” Marie Soderstrom, Kerstin Jeding, Mirjam Ekstedt, Aleksander Perski, Torbjorn Akerstedt, @Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2012 Apr;17(2):175-83.

“On the Nature of Burnout-Insomnia Relationships: A Prospective Study of Employed Adults,” by Galit Armon, Arie Shirom, Itzhak Shapira, Samuel Melamed, @Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2008 Jul;65(1):5-12.

“Long working hours increasing deaths from heart disease and stroke,” Joint news release of WHO & ILO 2021.

The Puppy Primer, by Patricia McConnell.

Books on dog training by The Monks of New Skete.