When Your Boss is a Monkey

One of the magazines I subscribe to is Fast Company, which is kind of a hip business magazine with all sorts of interesting takes on leadership, technology, and marketing. It’s good for stimulating some “out of the church” thinking. The latest issue has a really funky article called “Your Boss is a Monkey” (the church staff would agree). Anyway, the article describes a book by Amy Sutherland, who studied animal trainers who are able to get their charges to do amazing things and applies her learning to managing people, too. The book’s title (I love this) What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage. Bottom line is that whether you’re dealing with a massive sea creature, an elephant, a simian superior in your office or a wild child at home, the key to managing the situation is about managing yourself—particularly controlling your reactions. Animal trainers faced with, say, a beluga whale spitting cold water on them do best when they don’t react but engage in a technique called the “least reinforcing scenario” (LRS). It’s a technique that Sutherland says works on both whales and husbands. Check out the article on the Fast Company web site.

It occurred to me that this is the kind of thing that Jesus did so well—not reacting to both the criticism he faced or the praise heaped on him. He was a master at controlling his reactions in the face of the wild machinations of demons or the dullness of his disciples. He was probably the most self-differentiated person who ever lived.

If you’re dealing with tough situations at home, at school, or at the office, you’ll want to check out this article and maybe even get the book. It’s fascinating and useful stuff!