Everybody Is A Bull

When I use the term bull, your mind may go to the image of a typical male bull, but I always use it as a gender neutral term. Therefore, we are all bulls, and in my experience there are three types of bulls:

1. The powerful and passionate bulls who look at everything as an opportunity.
2. The bulls waiting at the side of the ring, waiting for direction.
3. The angry bulls in the ring, causing mayhem.

I think it’s important to focus most on the angry bulls. A leader’s knee-jerk reaction is to get rid of the angry bulls, however the angry bulls are those who are in the ring, with the highest engagement. Their engagement may be negative, but what is the underlying cause of that? When you understand where the anger is coming from, you can oftentimes turn that negative engagement into positive engagement, turning a bull #3 into a bull #1. 

Leaders underestimate their impact. Giving your herd, especially the angry bulls, feedback and appreciation, can help to show them their role and the overall bigger picture. It’s always worth exploring each individual bulls story to help them rewrite it. This does not mean erasing your past, but rather making the most of it and moving forward on the path of becoming a powerful and passionate bull.