Top dog syndrome
Indian Management|November 2020
Why getting to the top at any cost is damaging business.
MINDY GIBBINS-KLEIN
Top dog syndrome

Let us get our ducks in a row, as we are in an animal kingdom, and get our meanings straight—what is a top dog? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as follows-top dog (noun): a person, group, or thing in a position of authority, especially through victory in a hard-fought competition1.

It is an idiom that crops up in conversations about achievement, targets, and results. We are used to, or perhaps are taught, to use it positively—it is top, so it must be good. However, I have my doubts. While competition is not necessarily detrimental to business, wanting to become a top dog at any cost might be. How? I’ll get to that in the second part of the article. Right now, I want to highlight why we so often think we need to become top dogs in the first place.

Conditioning

Getting to the top has a lot of perceived value. It is seen as being the first, the biggest, and the most accomplished. It is often understood as a state where success lives, where the good life happens. No wonder parents and societies are pushing their children to get to that point where everyone else sees you as happy. They insist on it, so you follow.

Bu hikaye Indian Management dergisinin November 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Indian Management dergisinin November 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

INDIAN MANAGEMENT DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Trust is a must
Indian Management

Trust is a must

Trust a belief in the abilities, integrity, values, and character of any organisation is one of the most important management principles.

time-read
6 dak  |
July 2023
Listen To Your Customers
Indian Management

Listen To Your Customers

A good customer experience management strategy will not just help retain existing customers but also attract new ones.

time-read
4 dak  |
November 2021
The hand that feeds
Indian Management

The hand that feeds

Providing free meals to employees is an effective way to increase engagement and boost productivity.

time-read
4 dak  |
November 2021
Survival secrets
Indian Management

Survival secrets

Thrive at the workplace with these simple adaptations.

time-read
5 dak  |
November 2021
Plan backwards
Indian Management

Plan backwards

Pioneer in the venture capital and private equity fields and co-founder of four transformational private equity firms, Bryan C Cressey opines that we have been taught backwards in many important ways, people can work an entire career without seeing these roadblocks to their achievements, and if you recognise and bust these five myths, you will become far more successful.

time-read
4 dak  |
November 2021
For a sweet deal
Indian Management

For a sweet deal

Negotiation is a discovery process for both sides; better interactions will lead all parties to what they want.

time-read
5 dak  |
November 2021
Humanise. Optimise. Digitise
Indian Management

Humanise. Optimise. Digitise

Engaging employees in critical to the survival of an organisation, since the future of business is (still) people.

time-read
5 dak  |
August 2021
Beyond the call of duty
Indian Management

Beyond the call of duty

A servant leadership model can serve the purpose best when dealing with a distributed workforce.

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2021
Workplace courage
Indian Management

Workplace courage

Leaders need to build courage in order to enhance their self-reliance and contribution to the team.

time-read
5 dak  |
August 2021
Focused on reality
Indian Management

Focused on reality

Are you a sales manager or a true sales leader? The difference, David Mattson, CEO, Sandler® and author, Scaling Sales Success: 16 Key Principles For Sales Leaders, maintains, comes down to whether you can see beyond five classic myths that we often tell ourselves about selling.

time-read
5 dak  |
August 2021