What Can HR Learn From a Lion Tamer?
Because intimidation isn't leadership.
Honestly,
I realize lion taming isn't exactly a booming career field.
But stay with me.
For years, popular entertainment portrayed lion tamers as fearless people standing in front of enormous predators, armed with a chair, a whip, and an impressive amount of confidence.
And I've met a few managers who seem to think that's the job description.
Control the room.
Establish dominance.
Make sure everybody knows who's in charge.
But here's the problem.
Fear can produce compliance without producing trust.
An employee who is afraid of their manager might follow instructions.
They might also stop asking questions.
Stop reporting mistakes.
Stop offering ideas.
Stop telling anyone when something is going wrong.
From a distance, that workplace can look remarkably well controlled.
Until it isn't.
And people, obviously, are not animals to be trained.
Which is precisely the point.
Employees aren't supposed to be tamed.
They're supposed to be led.
A healthy organization doesn't require people to be frightened into doing their jobs.
It requires expectations, accountability, competence, and enough psychological safety for people to speak up when something isn't right.
What HR can learn: Getting everyone to be quiet isn't the same as earning their respect.
And if your management style requires a whip and a chair?
Reflections
- Does a quiet room mean agreement, or have people learned to stay quiet?
- How do we respond when someone brings us unwelcome information?
- Can people question a decision without wondering whether it will cost them?
Toolbox
- When someone reports a mistake, start with: ‘Thank you for telling me. What happened?’
- Invite a concern before a decision: ‘What might we be missing?’
- Keep the expectation clear without a threat: ‘We need this completed by Friday. What is in the way?’
- Explain what happens next after someone raises an issue; silence can make speaking up feel pointless.
- Notice your own reaction to disagreement. A question does not automatically require a defense.
We should probably talk.
What can HR learn from your job?
What does your profession know that HR should learn? Tell me the job—and the thing the rest of us might be missing.
You don’t need to be interviewed or write an essay. A few sentences are plenty.
No email required. This doesn’t subscribe you to anything. Suggestions stay private for review; nothing is automatically posted.