Dawn was just breaking over the wharf in small-town Nova Scotia as about a dozen fishermen readied their morning’s catch for the journey to local shops and restaurants. What I witnessed that morning became an unexpected lesson in leadership and the importance of building other people up.
“I think your crabs are escaping”, I said to a fisherman as I pointed to one of several large wooden barrels in front of him. The crabs inside clambered one of top of the other, reaching for the top, and it seemed to me that at least a few of them would get away. He smiled, his eyes crinkling between his wind-beaten brows and cheeks. “No,” he said, “They won’t get away. The crabs won’t let that happen. As soon as one of them gets near the top, another will pull it down.”
“Silly, isn’t it?” he continued. “If they helped one another, most of them could escape. Luckily though,” he laughed out loud, “they’re not very smart. They think that they’ll do better by pulling each other down.”
The leadership lesson beneath the surface
It occurred to me in that moment that human beings can sometimes be like crabs. Rather than building other people up, they try to get ahead by pulling others down. You probably know people in your professional and personal lives who attempt to achieve their goals and aspirations by pulling other people down. While they may be successful in the short-term, invariably their history of failed relationships catches up to them. One of the many characteristics of successful leaders is this: they know that their ultimate triumph comes from building other people up, not pulling them down. They understand that crab-like behavior does not result in long-term success.
Are you focused on building other people up, or are you exhibiting crab-like behavior? If so, you may be your own worst enemy. Don’t get in the way of your own leadership success!
As you reflect on this story, consider this: what is one thing you could do this week to build someone else up? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below.
Merge’s leadership development consultancy has one singular focus – to turn managers into leaders; to help great people become exceptional leaders so that they can turn their people power into real and tangible results. Through her speaking, training, consulting, mentoring and facilitation services, Merge helps leaders in organizations create high-performing workplaces.
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