Dog Loyal or Cat Loyal?

An instructor once asked the following question to his students: In your job, are you dog loyal or cat loyal? The students looked puzzled.

"Think about it," the instructor said. "Are you loyal to the boss (dog loyal) or are you loyal to the company (cat loyal)?"

Often times as we journey through jobs and careers, the answer to that question varies but remains very telling. Dog loyal employees will follow the boss- to them what the boss says is golden, much like man's best friend. These bosses are often the leaders in an organization- those transformational people who gain more by giving others the training, ability and know-how to be leaders in their own right. Such folks know how to get the best out of others and value teamwork. In general, employees like going to work because they feel they are contributing to something greater than themselves.

Cat loyal people are loyal to the organization and its ideals. Much like a cat, they'll always come back to the house for a meal, but don't necessarily care much for the boss. Such people are typically not as emotionally invested in the journey that dog loyal people are. For them, the meal is the paycheck.

So ask yourself this: Are you Dog Loyal or Cat Loyal? Which do you feel fills up your cup the most, and if you're not where you'd like to be, endeavor to be the master of your own destiny and set goals toward achieving that perfect place- where work doesn't feel like work.

Carpe Diem- Sieze the day!