Pluto

I have never been much of a dog person. In fact, I would qualify myself as quite the opposite - someone who was mildly fearful of dogs.?

I grew up in a small apartment in India where none of my friends had any pets. To make matters worse, I am allergic to dog hair. So, when my then 12-year-old single child insisted on a pet as a companion, I was taken aback and quite resistant to the idea. But Aurna was adamant. She did all the work of investigating a hypoallergenic dog, impersonating us to call breeders, and selected Pluto - an 8-week old Bichon Frise. So, reluctantly, her dad acquiesced and we brought Pluto home.?

Time has passed since. Pluto is now an adult - 3.5 years old and a source of constant enjoyment and irritation for us in the family. We (and I) cannot imagine a life without Pluto - that’s what pets and dogs do.?

I wanted to share three leadership learnings I have had from Pluto - as weird as it sounds.?

Curiosity - Pluto is always curious, whether it's sniffing plants outside or figuring out what is inside a newly delivered Amazon package. Curiosity is one of those innate traits that allow a leader to always have a learning or growth mindset. I feel all dogs especially Bichon Friese’s can teach us that, in spades.?

Focus - Pluto is a routine person. He has his timing - for a walk, for food, for “zoomie”, for his afternoon adventures in the back yard, and for his naps. In other words, Pluto focuses on the key outcomes he wants every day without fail. I wish I had that discipline! While it may seem simple, routine life is about discipline to focus on the most important business priorities. Arguably, the focus on what matters (vs not) is a must-have for successful outcomes in business.?

Empathy - Pluto is one of the most perceptive “people” I have met. A few weeks back, my wife had taken her Covid booster and taken ill. While she was resting, Pluto decided to change his focus for the day. He understood what mattered was to focus on the well-being of his “mother”. And throughout the day, he kept close company to my wife, never even uttering anything about going out for a walk or other activities he engages in. Making sure my wife was ok was his only focus. This level of empathy is rare when you fully internalize what the other person is going through and make the other person feel truly valued. And there are many a time Pluto has demonstrated such empathy. If you pick up any leadership book, empathy is rated as one of the top traits that separate the average from the outstanding leader.

I do not mean to diminish human EQ or IQ - I understand we are a more evolved species of animal. But if I step back and look at my life journey over the last few years, I would attribute some of my evolved learnings in leadership to Pluto. In particular, I want to call out what a shame it would have been if my fear of the unknown had pushed me to avoid having Pluto in our lives - my life lesson which I hope everyone will benefit from: sometimes the things we resist have the most to teach us. Hope you all will benefit from having a pet that will love you and teach you the essential values of life.?