If you want to learn how to be a great manager, get a DOG (Doctorate in Organisational Greatness), writes Steve Scott, as he points to eight lessons every leader can learn from our canine companions.
Dogs and humans have been best buds since, well, forever. In fact, there isn’t a single point in the historical record where dogs haven’t shown up alongside their bipedal colleagues. We go together like peas and carrots.
According to sociobiologists, this constant cohabitation over the last 30-plus millennia has resulted in co-evolution – we have, in essence, changed the natural evolutionary path of each other.
In other words, no one is quite sure who domesticated whom. But one thing is certain: They have taught us a great deal and still have a lot more to share.
Here are eight lessons every manager can learn from our canine cousins.
- Be a strong and dependable: Alpha dogs are steadfastly loyal, strong leaders, who get shit done – they provide direction and security and sustenance. Weak leaders, no surprise, don’t last very long in wolf packs. If you’re a manager who loves making your employees nervous about their continued employment or likes paying them less than they are worth or gets a kick out of ‘managing out’ those who challenge your authority, then it is only a matter of time before the pack abandons you and it’s game over.
- Hire the right people for the right roles: Not the cheapest person or the person who is related to the boss’ cousin. Dogs are hardwired to work together as a pack for their mutual advantage – each with their own specific abilities and a role to suit. We can see this clearly with modern dogs. There are sheep dogs and guide dogs. There are drug dogs and service dogs. There are police dogs and companion dogs. And there are guard dogs and gun dogs. Each dog knows, instinctively, the job they are required to do and what they are good at. We don’t expect guard dogs to lead the blind no matter how cheap they are or how well they know the boss.
- Earn and reinforce trust and loyalty through your daily actions: Once a dog knows, likes, and trusts you, they’re loyal and obliging. But that trust must be continuously worked for. An alpha dog is only as good as their last score, kill, or successful relocation from danger. If you drop the ball or over-promise and under-deliver, if you lie and manipulate, you should refer to point one.
- Actions speak louder than words. Alpha dogs do not bark. They prefer low growls and dominant gestures (placing a paw on your back). The alpha dog is as silent as Dora with Freud and commands respect through its actions (see above). The lesson here is clear: stop all the pointless jibber-jabber. Stop nagging, raising your voice, or sending anxious emails at 3 a.m., because not only is no one listening, but it makes you look weak, nervous and frightened. Employees don’t want to sit in pointless meetings while your jaws get a workout. They don’t want to hear from you at all, in fact, unless it’s to answer a question. And if you can’t answer it, be truthful or refer yourself, once again, to point one.
- Be attuned to non-verbal cues: The rest of the pack communicate their mood clearly and unambiguously – happiness/submission (tail wag), fear (barking), and anxiety (yawning). Successful alpha dogs are keyed in to the changing needs of the pack – they pick up on shifts in demeanour quickly and take appropriate actions to restore a harmonious equilibrium. Weak and ineffective managers ignore and dismiss these cues – placing the cause of the disgruntlement squarely with the staff member.
- Reward your team on the regular: Dogs respond to positive, consistent rewards, which reinforce their behaviour. But the rewards have to be tangible and not empty promises or signifiers – they cannot be bullshit. No one responds, in the long-term, to non-monetised titles, smiles, ata-boys, back-pats, pizza or beer. People want real, concrete rewards – money, time, and real promotion.
- Don’t have a political agenda, have a proactive agenda: Alpha dogs are apolitical. The members of their pack are selected because they contribute in a meaningful way to the ongoing success of the pack. This is all that matters. Good managers work with their staff to ensure they have the tools and skills required to assist the team in meeting their goals. If the tools are unavailable, they will work hard to have them provided. In doing so, they will shield their employees from the unreasonable demands of senior management while forwarding requests for additional support, redesigned processes, altered goals and so on that will be beneficial to the ongoing success of the team.
- Don’t tie your employees to their desks: Chained dogs are unhappy dogs that will, in time, develop a raft of behavioural problems. Dogs need regular exercise for their physical and mental wellbeing, and so do we. Sociobiologists suggest that, apart from the obvious benefits that come from regular exercise, there is actually very good reason for this. They postulate that the ability to make good decisions and solve complex problems while moving is, in fact, an inherited trait passed down from our distant ancestors. Basically, those who could either avoid being lunch, or were able to get lunch, survived. Those who were less able to do so, didn’t. Good managers will encourage staff to take walks, go for runs, or head to the gym. This is not time lost – this is time gained.
As a manager, you need to embrace your inner dog. Your alpha bitch. You need to be silent and dependable. You need to be in sync with your team. You need to pick up on the changes in tone, find out what is causing the dissatisfaction, and fix it quickly. Always ask yourself, when caught in a moment of indecision – how would Lassie react, how would the Littlest Hobo respond, what, ultimately, would Scooby do?
Dr Steve Scott teaches management and marketing in Taranaki, NZ. When he is not in the classroom, you can find him either jogging the trails around New Plymouth or walking the dog in Pukekura Park.

Dr Steve Scott.