DROP THE ROPE

On a recent trip with my sons to Peru, one of them asked, “Why do all these animals all have ropes around their necks, but no one is ever pulling them?” My four sons and I rented a car and drove all over that amazing country. We often had to stop and let herds of sheep, cows, lamas, and even some horses cross the road. We were amazed that all the animals had halters and lead ropes, but we never saw anyone pulling on them. Instead, the ropes just dragged in the mud, and the animals would follow behind either a little boy or a girl dressed in traditional garb.

We just started training our six-month-old Mustang colt, Gaucho, to become halter broke. When we pull on the colt’s rope too tightly, the colt immediately resists and rares back. But the colt will follow if we gently hold the rope, ever so carefully tugging it while walking in front. Horses, like people, like being led but hate being controlled.

In this month’s HBR, there is a great article called “The Anxious Micromanager.” The author describes the process many leaders use to control others as a tug of war. She shares this powerful insight, “Whoever drops the rope is the leader.”  It takes confidence to loosen our grip and stop trying to control. This is true in the boardroom, high in the Andes, or in a dusty corral.