By:  Janine Cajayon

We have seven dogs at home: four toy poodles that stay inside, and three miniature poodles that stay outside. 

Let us focus on my three dogs that reside in the garage.

It is normal for dogs to bark at the sight of unfamiliar dogs, cats, and people. However, two of those dogs do something else when the clock strikes 9. Nami, our oldest poodle, scratches the door. She will only stop if I let her in. Lucca, on the other hand barks continuously. He only stops if I let him in. Biscuit, on the contrary, does nothing. She stays outside the whole time, barks if needed. She goes to her cage once I tell her to, never barks or scratches the door to get in, and never tries to get past the person opening the door.

In short, Biscuit comprehends that she is an outdoor dog, and she never voices any complaints about it.

How did I react to Lucca’s and Nami’s behaviors?

When Nami scratches the door and Lucca barks incessantly, we let them in. We gave them what they wanted. Our reactions were based on their desires. They get what they want despite exhibiting negative behavior. We have reinforced their behavior by favoring them, resulting in their continued negative actions to achieve their goals.

Nothing special was done to acknowledge Biscuit’s good behavior. Despite her positive attitude, she remains outside the house, eats the same food and drinks the same water, without receiving any special treats.

But why should you care about my dogs? What’s the point of all of this? Why would you be concerned about their behavior?

This text is not only about dogs, this same situation is relevant to human life as well and to you who will one day become a leader.

As a leader, you have great responsibilities and play a crucial role in mentoring others. Your reactions to situations require conviction and careful analysis, as they will influence the behavior of your team members, both positively and negatively.

Sadly, most of the time leaders nurture bad behavior by giving them what they want, by responding accordingly to their unnecessary needs, or sometimes their illogical rants and requests. 

Leaders might engage in such behavior for a few reasons. They might grow weary of hearing complaints and frustrations, or they might be dissatisfied with the quality of work being produced and decide to take matters into their own hands. Additionally, they might be trying to avoid conflict.

Unfortunately, by nurturing this kind of action, we are also watering dead seeds that will never grow into beautiful flowers. No matter how much effort we put into watering them, they will never grow because we are giving them the wrong nutrients, hoping that there is still a chance to see something good sprout from that unhealthy soil they are in.

Meanwhile, what do you do with members who follow without complaint? What do you do with people who do their best in their work?

The hard work of these individuals often goes unnoticed. Instead of receiving recognition and incentives for a job well done, they are often given more work because they are “willing” to take it, because they never complain, or because they can do it better than others.

This is the reality of life: Negative behaviors are reinforced while positive behaviors often go unnoticed and are not reciprocated with positive feedback.

People’s behavior should not be treated like batteries, where negative actions attract positive responses. Doing so would only lead to promoting incorrect results. Instead, we should invest in our diligent and talented workers—those who are eager to learn more, embrace change positively, and thrive in their current roles.

I hope that when you become a leader, you will think of yourself as a gardener as well. This means providing pruning for unhealthy habits, repotting workers who excel in other fields, removing the weeds of bad habits before they start to grow, and sprinkling the right nutrients that suit their working needs. Finally, water the healthy habits of consistency, hard work, and dedication.