Among my bulletin board art is a statement: “If you ain't the lead dog, then the view never changes.” Of course, that refers to being the lead dog on the dog sled team. Personally, I've never operated a dog sled and probably never will, but I understand the implications of this statement entirely.

Now wait a minute. At any given time there can be only one lead dog. Does that mean the rest of us are relegated to waiting until the lead dog moves aside, or does it mean that we have to leave to lead another team? The answer is, maybe neither. If you're pulling for the team, then perhaps there are other kinds of dogs that are just as important as the lead dog.

So how did I get on this train of thought? I recently participated in a workshop where one of the candidates casually told me that he was very tired of dealing with all the problems he faces. He summed up his thoughts with the cliché, “It's a dog-eat-dog world out there.”

No matter how difficult our department situation, none of us are dogs. We're human beings engaged in a wide variety of activities, trying to take our organization in a specific direction. However, there may be lessons to be learned by looking at our canine companions to see if we can incorporate some of their behaviors into our team interaction.

For example, after extended discussions with a variety of people, I came up with the following types of dogs: watchdogs, bird dogs, lap dogs and attack dogs. Of course, that list also contains the lead dog, but we all can't be leaders all of the time for everyone. Let's take a look at the other four types of dogs to see if we can find parallel behaviors in management theory.

Watchdog

The watchdogs are those individuals who pay a lot of attention to the security of the organization. They're on the lookout for any intrusion or invasion of the organization from an alien force. Not all watchdogs are big and powerful, but they do possess one overwhelming characteristic: They are not too easy to ignore. They're loud. They shout warnings.

In some cases we need individuals within our organization to serve as the watchdog. Their job is not to turn on those whom they're protecting, but rather to pay attention to everything that can have an adverse impact on the organization as it goes about its business. Watchdogs are loyal and sincere in their efforts. They may not be able to totally defend the organization, but they are the first to note that it's in harm's way.

Bird dog

That takes us to the bird dogs, those individuals in organizations who point out opportunities to move ahead. They're keen of site and hearing, but unlike watchdogs, they're not particularly loud. However, they are very intense. They stay focused on targets of opportunity.

Now, bird dogs aren't always capable of identifying different kinds of opportunities. Although some of our canine friends might focus on pointing out quail or pheasant, there are other types of bird dogs that go out and retrieve what has been already identified.

The unique characteristic of bird dogs is that they know the rules but play according to their own perspective on those rules. I remember one bird dog my father owned named Judo. Judo was an excellent dog who had a certain degree of independence in how he went about his job. You don't operate bird dogs on a leash. Bird dogs range wide and far, but they have a tendency to stay within site of the organization.

Lap dog

Our third kind of dog is the only one with a pejorative connotation. Laps dogs are those individuals who, in another context, might be referred to as yes men. They're individuals within the organization who are so concerned about whether they're liked or treated properly that they're fearful of doing anything that could be classified as the least bit controversial or risky. Lap dogs do not range far from their masters. They're more concerned about their security than their confidence.

Attack dog

And this brings us to the last dog we have in our inventory, the attack dog. Our police brethren have developed this particular type of canine capability with the creation of the law enforcement version of Rin Tin Tin. (If you don't remember Rin Tin Tin, check out the Turner Classic Movies cable TV channel).

The attack dogs take on the really tough issues. They tend to be not just tough, but persistent. They don't attack without cause — I'm not talking about a mad dog here. The attack dog is someone who's willing to get out in front and take the raps without using unnecessary force.

As we look at most of our organizations, we'll find a mixture of these kinds of behaviors within the context of our staff. But let's face it: If we're talking about a fire department, the fire chief gets to be lead dog quite a bit of the time. However, if we take a lesson from those who train sled dogs, we should note that lead dog is based on confidence, not age, tenure or experience. Lead dogs remain at the front of the sled team only if they can continue to lead.

As you've reviewed these descriptions of the different behaviors, you may say to yourself that sometimes one person might fulfill several of these roles. That is not only true, but the point of this metaphorical discussion. What makes for a good team is when each member knows that his or her role is in support of everybody else on the team. Watch dogs look out for security, bird dogs look out for opportunity, lead dogs choose the path, and attack dogs ensure that the organization will survive.

At some point in your career you may have played one of these roles, or maybe you've observed others playing these roles. Perhaps you're a better fit with a type I haven't mentioned — the working dog. These are canines used in conjunction with the cattle industry, the sheep industry, and other forms of agricultural industry where the dog operates independently and makes things happen. Perhaps that's the role most of us play most of the time.

I tend to believe that this might be true merely because of what I've heard some of you say at conferences, such as being “dog tired” or referring to those times when things don't go very well as “dog days.”

By now you might be tired of the mutt metaphor, yet it's no different from any of the other comparisons that we make to get managers and leaders to understand what their respective roles are in our organizations. I could go further into this theory with explanations of the alpha wolf and other canine competencies, but I'll spare you.

What makes us effective as individuals is our ability to interact as groups. If you get the opportunity to be the lead dog, then lead. If you can perform as a bird dog, help your organization see better. If your organization is vulnerable from the outside and you get an opportunity to shout a warning, don't hesitate.

What makes each of us good is our individual competency. What often makes us great is our ability to combine strengths to achieve a seemingly insurmountable goal.

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Ronny J. Coleman is the president of the Fire & Emergency Television Network and a 39-year veteran of the fire service. He has served as fire chief in Fullerton and San Clemente, Calif., and was the fire marshal of the State of California from 1992 to 1999. He is a certified fire chief and a master instructor in the California Fire Service Training and Education System. A Fellow of the Institution of Fire Engineers, he has an associate's degree in fire science, a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in vocational education.