The term comes from the dog teams that pull sleds through
the snow. The lead dog is the one that determines the direction and pace for
the rest of the pack. If you don’t have a lead dog, the dogs will compete and
fight for their own preferences. In the end the team will expend a tremendous
amount of energy but not go very far.

This metaphor applies to you. For example, if your “lead
dog” in your practice is serving clients, then you will make everything else
subservient to it. You will develop your technical expertise in so far as it
allows you to serve. You will be involved in community activities to the degree
it will provide service opportunities. You will cooperate with firm
expectations as long as it allows you to serve the way you want to.

That’s why you can’t find the time to do anything except what
you consider to be serving. Marketing your services, participating in community
activities and groups, or getting your billing done are all interferences to
serving your clients. Or so you think.

You haven’t figured out that all of those activities are
about client service. Letting others know of your service will increase your
serving opportunities, as is being active beyond your current client sphere.
Even accurate, timely billing is a client service activity, not an
administrative necessity.

What’s your lead sled dog? Once you identify it, you can determine
how the other things that used to compete for your time are now ways of getting
what you want more of.

This week, get your life and your practice aligned with
your lead sled dog. It’s more enjoyable and you get things done.