What is your power animal? A funny question for some, but a powerful resiliency mechanism for those who dare dive into the question. This is a fun exercise, not a funny one; just think, how valuable would it be to draw upon your basic knowledge of, in this case, an animal to enhance your performance? In the absence of training, this tool of drawing upon the characteristic(s) of your power animal could be the quick burst of inspiration to push you through some adversity or challenge. Diving deeper yet, how could your power animal’s characteristics guide your approach to a longer-term challenge; guiding a career or your leadership style? For me, this deep dive into power animal exploration came to life in Afghanistan.
"How valuable would it be to draw upon your basic knowledge of, in this case, an animal to enhance your performance?"
The Forward Operating Base (FOB) Joyce local Afghan shop is where I found a patch that I couldn’t pass up buying to mask my Velcro. Clad in rubber and earth tones, I found the sheepdog! For those of you who may have never had the luxury of perusing local shops contracted by the administrators of your far-flung FOB in Afghanistan, think of a bazaar of odds and ends, though, having their customers in mind, these had plenty of sharp objects and things for bored soldiers to waste money on. The sheepdog patch immediately struck a chord with me, as my Special Forces team was building, training, and fighting alongside Afghan Special Police units while simultaneously guiding and mentoring NATO partners. Different cultures, different perspectives, and initially, different goals among this triangle of military force drew me to the animal that brings order from the chaos of the herd. I bought the sheepdog immediately, slapped him on my helmet, and continued mission - bringing unity to the triumvirate to accomplish our missions, with the help of the sheepdog, over the next few months throughout the region. My buddy the sheepdog has remained on my kit since 2013 but only recently have I really begun to examine my connection to the sheepdog. Sitting around in one of our traditional hurry-up-and-wait moments, I looked at the sheepdog and began to reflect.
There’s plenty to like about the sheepdog, characteristic-wise. In developing to become the master herder, they learn patience and discipline through their training both from master and fellow sheepdogs alike. Sheepdogs are quick, quick-witted, and have incredible senses to help detect predators, find stray sheep, and to read the terrain to guide the herd. In reading the terrain, they commit that knowledge to memory, setting the land navigation into the subconscious to apply greater focus on more immediately pressing issues. The sheepdogs communicate with one another to build an effective team, delegating responsibility for guiding a portion of the herd to another, often very fluidly. Obviously, they communicate with the sheep, as well, through bark, movement, and gentle nudging to guide the flock from one grazing pasture to another and ultimately to their final resting place for the night. Though they do not have a common language, the sheepdog is able to engage the members of the flock to achieve positive results and meet the shepherd’s intent. Observing these characteristics, the herd does not fear their guides, rather, trust is built, and they learn to trust the sheepdog implicitly.
Let’s layer the sheepdog context over an organization. This works for me because I can think of the herd as the organization; the other sheepdogs as team members; the shepherd – a customer. The terrain could be equated to market forces; the flock’s predators – competition. An effective leader follows the parallels of the sheepdog’s vision and action to guide their organization to produce results while moving team member engagement in the direction of achieving that implicit trust. Though likely not 100 percent achievable, the idea of implicit trust comes across as, in the Special Operations community at least, sounding like “I would follow him anywhere!” This is when I knew I was moving in the right direction as a leader; when others were moving in the right direction. Hearing such things certainly does not mean that everything is perfect, though, and so, I characterize the dynamic as “moving in the right direction,” because you can never stop seeking improvement, lest you stagnate.
"I draw upon my understanding of the animal’s special abilities as a lens through which to envision my success in pushing through adversity laid before me."
By invoking the characteristics of my power animal, chosen with similarity to self in mind, I draw upon my understanding of the animal’s special abilities as a lens through which to envision my success in pushing through adversity laid before me. Partnered with Afghans, we certainly didn’t speak the same language and the interpreters were spread thin, so our team worked hard on our engagement through non-verbal interaction, prepared instruction, and channeling our sheepdog, some gentle nudging to build trust. Through practice and regular engagement, the ODA coupled with our NATO partners, saw iterative improvement which led to operational successes.
So, the sheepdog is my power animal, my mascot. How do you create yours? I would recommend taking two criteria into consideration. One, consider choosing one that has a similar characteristic to self; and/or two, choose one that has a characteristic that you seek to hone and make your own. Kudos if you can find a “sheepdog” of your own that is more than surface deep in meaning for you. Be pragmatic too, while the lion may be adept at surveilling its prey, a hunter or Special Operations soldier may want to channel the lion, but this likely wouldn’t work in an office environment, unless you have been hired as the office linebacker.
Embracing your inner power animal boils down to reenforcing your personal resilience. It’s a fun way to develop a burst of courage like a lion, find energy to push through a challenge like a cheetah, or, are you a sheepdog, who will guide their organization to success? Discover your power animal and test it out, challenge yourself to grow bold. That way, you can demonstrate your new-found resilience tool when others challenge you.