A management lesson I learned from my son: your employees need your protection. I thought it would be a great idea to get a picture of my son (who was 2 at the time) and this grizzly at BassPro. He, on the other hand, was NOT interested, and wanted his mom ASAP. He wanted safety. The people that you lead need this as well. Not just safety from physical harm, which we owe them, but they need you to have their back. As you will notice in the picture, I was positioned between my son and the bear- the danger in his mind. This is where leaders must position themselves. Doing your best to shield your team from the dangers- failure, inefficiencies, poor culture. Putting yourself in proximity to the danger, not observing from afar, allows you to be a better, not involved leader. Think of it this way: what leaps would you be willing to take if you knew someone had your back? Stand up for your team. Protect them from “the bear”, and watch them soar.