A Burnt Dog does not get too close to the Fire

We all learn by our experiences as our opinions and reactions are created from what those experiences have taught us. Our employees and leaders learn the same way. Many times we do not realize that we have certain reactions and preconceived beliefs that are automatic, and they are triggered by circumstances that occur that are similar to the experiences that created them.

A burnt dog does not get too close to the fire was a statement made by the mastermind of leadership development and behavior modification Bum Phillips. Yes, the old football coach of the Houston Oilers and father of Wade Phillips had a way of explaining things with his old country slang. A burnt dog does not get too close to the fire.

Take a moment and pause and think about that. Naturally what Bum was trying to explain is a dog has a natural reaction as well as a natural curiosity. It is not unlike a dog to see a fire, like one in a fireplace and be curious. So the dog may want to get closer and possibly smell the bright light the fire creates. But it only takes one time for that dog to realize the danger.

A burnt dog does not get too close to the fire.

We are no different. Our responses are from what we learned from our experiences and they create what then become our natural instincts and reactions. Our employees and leaders come to us with built in instincts from life and they are creating new ones each day working in our environment.

I remember a boss of a department question why his team never brought new ideas to him, or voiced their opinions openly? He placed the blame on the team and not himself. However, what he did not realize is that when anyone suggested new ideas and opinions that differed from his own he demonstrated that he did not listen with an open mind. In fact, he was always ready to defend his belief instead of welcoming a different view. That boss was consistently harsh with criticism on the ideas or opinions suggested.

A burnt dog does not get too close to the fire.

True leaders welcome different views and desire new ideas and they create an environment that fosters that culture. A true leader understands that the growth of his future leaders is important and their development will grow his organization.

One of the best leaders I worked for would have a forum in our management meetings to bring up issues and allow for our opinions. Other members on the team would openly discuss, ask questions, and even debate opinions and ideas shared. More importantly, that leader thanked us for sharing our opinions and the open debate. When a decision was made we all owned it.

Not all decisions were made this way, as we did not have management by committee. Decisions were not made based on the consensus and many times the decisions were still not what I voiced or what other opinions may have been. But the culture grew our creativity and innovation. The culture made our leaders know they were valued. We were not afraid to get too close to the fire.