2-minute dog trainer, proxies and leadership

I’d like to mount my soapbox for a few minutes on two subjects — proxies and leadership.

Proxies — we’ve had several people say they’d never assign a proxy. That their vote is precious and they’d never give it up.

Well, I assign my proxy every 2 years or so.  I assign it to a state representative, a state senator, a president of the United States, a governing body for my state or nation.

We don’t each vote on every bill and resolution that passes through the state or national legislature — instead, we assign our PROXY to an individual whom we trust with that precious vote.

We find an individual whom we trust, in whom we believe, and we say “I’M WITH YOU!” 

Our accumulated proxies build a majority, or a loud minority, but they build a POWERFUL GROUP.

When Bud and I ask for your proxy, we’re asking you to trust us to hold your best interests, and those of TDAA as an organization, foremost in our minds.  We already do that.

When Bud and I ask for your proxy, we’re asking you to allow this transition to take place over the course of a week or two rather than over 6 months’ time.  We’re hoping for a smooth transition and a future for TDAA where decisions about the organization are made by Bud and I after careful consideration of the opinions of both our board of advisors and all our customers — the TDAA membership.

When Bud and I ask for your proxy, we’re not saying you’ll never get to vote again on TDAA business.  Instead, when we assume leadership of the organization you’ll constantly be asked your opinion, and we’ll be adjusting our policies and plans to accommodate the majority of our customers — the member host clubs and the members themselves.

Leadership — it has been said of Bud that he’s an “idea guy” with no capacity for details and day-to-day drone work.

Well, maybe — probably — certainly!  (Though some argument could be made that a fellow who reviews 60-100 TDAA courses in one day, responding to each judge with comments on each, repeating himself dozens of times while instructing classes, judging hundreds of dogs on a single course, briefing exhibitors dozens of times over the course of a weekend with nearly identical information, is a detail-guy. And he does it all with a smile on his face. And he’ll give anyone — including his competition — advice on agility handling or strategy if asked.)

How many organizations or businesses have you seen started by detail-guys, day-to-day-drones?  How many day-to-day-drones are the inspiration for national movements? 

Idea guys have big plans. Idea guys inspire us to think about what is possible. Idea guys draw detail guys to them like moths to a flame.

By the way — I’m a detail, day-to-day-drone lady. Just in case you thought I was putting them down. <g>  I carry into this leadership package 35 years’ experience in customer service, information dissemination, and day-to-day paper pushing.

When I get inspired by an idea guy I start thinking of the details that excite me. I find details sexy.  Efficiency is sexy. Like infrastructure is sexy. New bridges and improved interstate ramps are sexy.

I’m not one to stand and say “ARE YOU WITH ME?” 

Bud Houston IS.  And I’m with him100%.   We’re a solid leadership package — an idea guy and a detail lady.

Tags: Bud Houston, dog agility, Marsha Houston, TDAA, teacup agility