10
White-Tailed Deer and Career Progression
We all remember what it was like to be hired for our first job out of college, to be excited to put our knowledge to the test and prove that we were not only ready for this challenge, but eager to advance quickly up that corporate ladder.
As you and I now know, new colleges grads don't realize that there is no substitute for work-related experience. You need time to engage in growth within your career. Just like a plant needs proper feeding, water, and a little bit of love to grow, you too need to experience this process at work. Through great mentoring, failures, rejections, success stories, and challenges, you will undoubtably receive more knowledge than you ever received in the classroom. This growth process allows you not just to survive, but to thrive.
As a leader, you play a vital role as you mentor the people on your team. This is a big step you need to understand in order to develop a strong and sustainable culture within your organization. A growth process needs to be collectively addressed daily, by both the supervisor and the employee. Only then will you and your organization be ready to sustain long-term success and a strong culture within your organization.
Ready to Change the World
While most will agree our college days were enjoyable, the responsibilities we had were minimal compared to the “real world” of employment that was just over the horizon. Attending class, preparing for exams, maybe even a bit of social indulging on occasional Friday evenings were the routine many of us followed.
As college years come to an end and graduation inches closer, reality starts to set in. You now have to become an “adult.” Hopefully, the nervousness of entering the “real” world transitions into excitement for the next chapter in life. You're ready to apply the schooling and classroom theories to make your mark in the workplace, ready to change the world!
When I reflect back on my first few post-college years, I realize how much I thought I knew as my professional career began to take shape. I finished my college days of playing baseball and set out to start a career as a physical education teacher and coach. I thought about how easy it was going be.
I figured those established teachers and coaches had no idea I played baseball and how much I knew. I could out-teach and out-coach these guys in my sleep. I was going to teach my players bunt defenses, first and third offensive plays, how to hit and run—skills I figured those old-school guys never even thought about.
I was young—full of “piss and vinegar” as the saying goes—and was ready to outwork everyone around me.
Find a Way to Kindle Your Passion
Don't get me wrong, it's great to have all that energy and excitement to tackle a task. How many times have we heard this: “If you love the job you do, then it doesn't really feel like work!” I was fortunate to be in this position, as I was working in a field that I had great passion for.
What does passion mean for most of us? We try to find a major in college that interests us and that will lead to work in our chosen field. We all hope to have the interests we gained in college transition into meaningful experiences and a rewarding career that we are excited to pursue. Striving to make an impact on our field of employment becomes our goal. This is the main reason we search for a career that is satisfying and hope that our choice leads us to be passionate in what we do.
You have the ability to ignite passion in others.
However, many times I hear that people are not satisfied with their jobs or the field they have chosen to pursue.
“I wish I studied harder.” “I should've majored in…” “Man, I would've loved to do what you do.”
Way too often people believe they are missing the boat. Yet there are many ways to find passion in your current field. For instance, very few people have a job that doesn't involve some personal interaction, and this provides a great opportunity to make an immense impact on others. Whether with co-workers, clients, or competitors, you can have an influence on people who can ignite and fuel your passion.
This is not easy, and it certainly takes a positive thinker with a great attitude—that optimistic attitude necessary to be infectious. You need to find a way to navigate the ups and downs, including those Monday morning blues.
Take Your Time—You Don't Know It All Just Yet
We certainly need passion to drive our interests and make a positive impact on those around us, but this can lead to a false sense of confidence. We think we know it all, sometimes better than the individuals we consider past their prime.
Ego starts to creep in: “I mean, come on, how does this old guy know about the technology I just learned in college?” (In Chapter 13 we'll take an in-depth look at the importance and the pitfalls that come with a big ego.) I call it being “young and dumb.” When we've just started our first job, we have so much energy and passion, and we believe we're ready for any challenge. In reality, we have absolutely no idea how much we have to learn or how much we need to grow. We haven't failed or succeeded yet, or dealt with controversy or obstacles.
The presence of a large ego at a young age clouds our ability to learn valuable lessons by observing others. If only we could take a moment to lose that ego as we engage our co-workers and absorb as much knowledge as we can from the people around us. When the right mindset is present, experiences allow us to grow at a steady rate. This ultimately helps us develop into the leaders we are capable of becoming, who can handle crisis management, and help foster success within the organization.
The Beauty and Life of a White-Tailed Deer
I want to share a story that illustrates the way age, along with experience, can help you become a successful leader and thrive personally as well.
I grew up in rural northwest New Jersey, in a family that valued and respected the land. (Yes, New Jersey is more than casinos and the Jersey turnpike. There are mountains, lakes, and farmland too.) We farmed vegetables, raised chickens for their eggs, and hunted both small and large game for some of the meat we ate. I learned the skills of hunting rabbits, pheasants, turkeys and the whitetail deer native to that part of the country. Family members taught me to shoot accurately, be stealthy in the woods, and always look for the signs that wildlife was present. I understand that not everyone agrees with hunting, and unfortunately the actions of some people have given hunting a bad name. But I was brought up not only to respect the land, but to treat any game with the utmost respect.
The most beautiful animal I have had the chance to see in the wild, the whitetail deer, is considered one of the most difficult to harvest, even in places like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where any cornfield on a fall evening is likely to boast massive herds of deer. The whitetail has keen senses of sight, hearing, and smell to alert the herd to any nearby dangers.
The name whitetail comes from the Native Americans, who relied on this animal for survival. When the deer are alarmed by a situation they deem dangerous, they will “throw” up their tails, which is about 10 inches long. The underside is bright white, like a fresh snowfall. This “flag,” as it's known, alerts the other deer to hightail it out of there.
The bucks, or male deer, go through a few stages of growth over the course of their lives, and can be visually differentiated from the does, or female deer, by their antlers, which get larger as they grow older. Their antlers are usually measured in terms of points—the number of prongs. The more the points, the bigger and older the buck.
The Whitetail Life Cycle as Metaphor
When I study the whitetail's life cycle, I see a parallel to the working lifespan of a human, from the college graduate fresh out of school to the retiring employee:
- At 18–24 months, the male deer is “young and dumb,” growing rapidly and making mistakes. They are small in stature, and their antlers usually measure 4–6 points.
- In the workforce, this is the person right out of college, 23–30 years old, full of energy and ready to conquer any task. They jump into situations eagerly, sometimes prematurely, and don't always think things through. A lot of ego is also present: they believe they have it all figured out.
- At 2 to 5 years old, young bucks are beginning to mature, getting bigger, healthier, and smarter. Antlers usually measure 6 to 8 points and are starting to develop more mass. They were fortunate to survive the mistakes they made, which helped them learn. They also begin to listen better, looking for ways to process what they hear to help them survive.
- In the workforce, the 30- to 45-year-old employee is now figuring things out—learning, growing, and finding that observing others, particularly veteran employees, can be a great resource for development.
- At 5 years old, the bucks are in their prime, carrying a massive set of antlers, measuring 10–14 points, wider than their chest. Past experiences, knowledge, and wisdom have made them smart and elusive, able to evade hunters, predators, and pitfalls.
- In the workforce, this represents the 45- to 65-year-old worker, someone whose work and life experiences have helped in the evolution to become the CEO, the boss, the top of the corporate chain. Many others look to these people for advice and guidance. They're also the ones who take responsibility for the ups and downs of the entire organization.
- From age 7 to the end of life, the buck starts to get smaller. They're not considered the alpha anymore. As they age, they become slower, and those antlers actually reduce in size, down to 6–8 points.
- Unfortunately, as much as we hate to admit it, this also is a part of the human life cycle. There comes a time when people realize it might be time to bow out and retire. They mentored many people inside the organization and certainly left the business better than when they arrived. They know it is time to turn their knowledge over to the younger buck.
Growing from Rookie to Veteran
A good friend of mine from Maine, Keven Ireland, is one of the most successful and driven people I have ever met. Keven thrives in the company he works for, rising from a junior salesperson to a few steps away from president of a Fortune 500 company. Keven is also a world-class whitetail hunter.
Hunting whitetail is hard. Some people go years without even seeing a deer, especially in a state like Maine, where the winters are so harsh that many deer simply can't survive. Only the strong, intelligent, and resilient whitetail can make it past a few years in this environment. The deer there are so flighty and sparse that it is rare even to see one. When you hunt in Maine, every a little slipup causes a deer to flee. Stepping on a broken stick, coughing, dropping your flashlight while climbing a tree stand—all send any chance of glimpsing a deer out the window.
Hunting can be a great outlet, along with providing a passion for nature. It takes years of practice and failures to hone the skills necessary to be successful. The growth from rookie hunter to seasoned veteran can take a lifetime. But that process can be accelerated if you choose to work hard at it. My buddy Keven became an expert hunter much quicker than others because he has unbelievable drive. He possesses that gene that makes him study, work, practice, and prepare more than most people are willing to. This makes him a successful hunter, a successful and valuable employee, and a successful person.
Like a whitetail or an employee, over time a hunter will also go through transitions. In the first few years, the hunter feels that harvesting any wild game, especially a whitetail, is a monumental feat, due to missed shots, dropped flashlights, and cellphones you forgot to silence while sitting hours in a tree stand, only to see a whitetail running from you. As you become a more seasoned hunter, you learn from those mistakes, leading to more success. And after many years, some hunters tend to be less interested in harvesting more game and instead want to challenge themselves, to harvest a much more mature and experienced deer.
Remember the growth process of the whitetail? The animal is also learning from its mistakes. A young buck might slip up during the rut, the mating season of the animal. Focused on a young doe, the buck is not paying attention to danger signs like sounds from people or cars, which can lead to a lethal outcome.
The whitetails with the instinct, know-how, and a bit of luck grow from these mistakes, and evolve into beautiful specimens. They are known as Boone and Crockett whitetails, the term given to a massive, record deer, far bigger in stature than most of its peers. The only chance you ever have to harvest a five-year-old whitetail is to possess the knowledge, know-how, and smarts. The ability to work hard and deal with multiple failures and setbacks needs to be constant a mindset.
Although I grew up hunting, I did not become a true hunter until I met Keven. He showed me things I would never think of to increase my chances of becoming a veteran: keeping detailed logs, tracking patterns of the moon, planting food plots, locating bedding and transition areas. Hunting season runs from late October through the middle of November. Keven amazed me with the countless hours he put into hunting, even prior to the season. He starts his process of “scouting” in April, once the Maine forest begins to slowly lose its constant blanket of snow. His success rate with Boone and Crockett deer is remarkable, especially for Maine.
If you remember my earlier story about my shoelaces in Chapter 5, you'll recall that I don't believe in either bad or good luck. However, most likely the mature buck acquired great wisdom and stature through a little good fortune. He might have ignored the sounds of danger, putting him in the crosshairs of young hunter, only to have that hunter shoot and miss. Possibly the car he ran in front of happened to swerve and avoided contact. Through these experiences, that deer became seasoned, avoiding future mishaps.
Persistence
Most hunters quit the sport for two reasons. First, they get frustrated, because it's not as easy to hunt a whitetail as they thought. Second, they get bored. It takes years of experience through a lot of tedium to have any chance of success and they don't want to make that commitment.
The hunter who does make that commitment is rare, and that's Keven. He prepares, researches, and is willing to put in the extra effort to be successful. He works efficiently and effectively. He's calm in his approach, never letting his emotions get too high or too low. He's persistent in his pursuit of success. His traits and values make him stand out among others.
When this kind of persistence transitions into the workplace, you have employees who shine, who grow and move quickly up the corporate ladder. They are the ones willing to go the extra mile to strive for success.
You see the fruits of Keven's labor in each hunting season.
You Pick, and Mentor, Your Team
So, how does this relate to leadership? Part of being a great leader is to understand that your success and failures are directly impacted by who you surround yourself with:
- Who are you hiring?
- Who are you allowing to be on your team?
- Who deserves the promotion and who needs a bit more time to age?
You get to choose the team.
You are the coach, the CEO, the supervisor, the boss, so you get to choose the players. You get to choose the team. You certainly get to hire your employees. Given the choice, of course you'd hire all the “five-year-old bucks” you could. They can be quite difficult to find, but sometimes you might have a few future ones already with you. They could be members of your current team or organization and require a little mentoring and a bit of time to mature. They just have not yet had the chance to grow into what they might become.
Recognize the Future of Five-Year-Old Whitetails When Hiring
Our role as leader requires us to surround ourselves with the right people when building our organization. We first need to find people we think have the traits to be successful. Then we must help them grow, similar to that beautiful whitetail deer.
They will need nurturing, advice, room to grow and room to fail. They need mentoring and you will undoubtedly find frustration in this process as a leader. Your role is to guide your employees every day, coupled with empowering them, to develop at your side.
However, your own approach in the hiring process is vital as you navigate the challenges of putting a team together. Your lack of preparation during this process, failing to bring the right people to your team with the ability to develop values, can cause major strains on your organization.
Realize some of your employees and team members will never grow to become the five-year-old buck. If you, their leader, work hard to hire, mentor, empower, and grow your employees, you can establish a consistent success rate. Eventually, your skills and devotion to leadership will allow you to develop a few of those five-year-old whitetails that can be your best employees, earners, players or captains.
Roles Change
A tough job that a leader has to be willing, and capable, to perform is recognizing when it is time to change the role of one of your employees. When you determine the five-year-old whitetail has grown into that seven-year-old, it is time revisit your organizational puzzle. Remember, everyone can be a piece of your puzzle, and those puzzle pieces will change.
Keep a keen eye out for the times you need to redefine the individual roles of your team. This can prove to be difficult; some people on your team have unbelievable experience and knowledge. They might require additional training or a role change within the organization. It is vital to organizational long-term success that you develop the skill set to empower your team, no matter what level of competency each employee holds—especially when dealing with your veteran staff members.
Your job, as their leader, is to nurture and mentor them each day.
A seasoned employee can bring tremendous value. Much like the development you fostered with the very young buck, you must find a way to continue to view the value in the older, seasoned veteran. Keep in mind it will be tough to get some to change habits. This is another responsibility you have as a leader—to mentor all of the people of your organization, including the veteran employees. Yes, old dogs can learn new tricks, but only if you are willing to as well, along with investing the time and energy to lead your entire team.
Veteran employees have great knowledge and know-how, but might lack in some other area. Maybe it's technology, or passion for the grind of the competitive work environment. However, they should be celebrated for the loyalty, dedication, experience, and service they bring to the organization. They can bring great value, holding roles of mentoring teammates, that can benefit others thoughout the entire organization.
Recognize the value each person brings to your team, no matter whether they are just starting within the company, or nearing retirement.
Be the Growth Process for Them
For organizational success, leaders must recognize their role as mentors to everyone on the team. Understand that not everyone around you possesses the same abilities or knowledge, and everyone is at a different developmental stage in their respective careers. Your job as their leader is to nurture and mentor them each day.
And you get the opportunity to see them grow into that beautiful whitetail deer.