I was in an agri-show a few weeks ago and there, I met Ray.

Ray was the herd dog that was herding five ducks in a show to demonstrate how dogs can be good shepherd with proper training.

The ducks went into different obstacle challenges with Ray not barking once, but pre-empting the ducks' movements, nudging them to take a certain direction, and lastly, blocking their way so that they have no choice but to take the challenge.

It was a great experience to learn and see how Ray was a patient, methodical, and strategic herd.

I likened this to leaders who are trying their best to show their followers the way.

Through nudges, incentives and rewards, pre-emptions, and strategic blocks, leader fine-tune their styles to suit the temperaments of their team, the objectives at hand, and the process they had to be girded on. 

Herding is a process that requires high relational quotient. if your team doesn't trust you, your herding is scorned and ridiculed. 

Your attempts to pre-empt and redirect will be taken in contempt and mistaken to be self-serving.

Your nudges and subtle reminders will be ignored.

Like Ray, you don't need to bark to show them the way.

​Your subtle gestures are loud enough to warrant paying attention. 

​There's something about physical beauty that people values.

In my culture, when you look physically better than all the rest, you get some special attention, whether you like it or not. 

Mestizas, half-Caucasians get to cover the major magazines and become showbiz stars and personalities. They are elected in public office and some get to really compete in beauty contests abroad and win prizes. If you're smart too, you really get places- a promotion, a graduate scholarship, more friends, and many more perks, perhaps. 

Nowadays, you might be suspected as a showbiz personality or a social media influencer and people will ask to have a photo session with you while walking in the mall or just doing your business.

During my time in elementary school, classrooms would vote for the leaders such as the President and so on.

For more than 3 years I got to be the Muse of the Class and then of course, I should have an escort.

At first, it was fine, I didn't mind at all. If there's a school event, the Muse and the Escort of each class will lead the parade or be the representatives to meet honorable guests and VIPS. In short, public ambassadors.  

But after a while, being voted beautiful is not the same way as being regarded as smart, intelligent, or just a very interesting person. And you can be all of these too. 

Beauty is a value but superficial and over regard and valuation of physical superiority based on certain standards do not make the person more or less better than others.

You need internal beauty that is a strong character and identity to weather the storms of life and become a much improved version of yourself. You need self-esteem that comes from within and no matter what you are good, enough, and sufficient for the task of your existence. 

No amount of makeup, plastic surgery, popularity, millions of social media followers, and doting from your friends and peers can cover the ugly and toxic aspects of one's personality and mask the real life your living.

This pattern repeated when I was in high school.

But by the end of high school, I was no more Ms. Muse. At the later part, I was voted Secretary and then Vice-President. My grades and overall standing mattered the most. I read more books and literature to keep abreast of international and local events and whatnots. I became a trivia buff, a bit nerdy on spy novels with a culinary bent. I became more well-rounded than just a person with a nice face to look at. 

After high school, I was never the Muse. 

In college, I was a consistent Dean's Lister for four years. I was Number 1 in one semester in my Department. I graduated with honors at the end of four years and moved on to take my graduate program.

With the flippancy of youth and the culture that values physical beauty above everything else, a young person can stumble. But eventually, the real world opened up to me to rethink this experience and understand that beauty, fame, wealth, status, and even relationships come and go. There 's no permanency in these. 

You should have to learn quickly and take your genetic advantages and assets appreciatively while working on other aspects of life that needs more work. 

I just moved to a new celfone provider from one that I had for more than 3 years now.

The agent presented a better price, better service, better features, and overall ease with the move.

I was convinced easily. Plus I didn't get charged for a connection fee.

The best is that he knows who is he talking to: small business owners who are always on the lookout for better communications to power their businesses.

The admirable part of it is that he got my data from the thousands of subscribers and zeroed in on what the segment I represented really needs.

Their competitor had no clue as to what happened just that one subscriber out. We could be in thousands until it's too late for them to figure out what was going on. 

It's not rocket side to please a customer.

You have these things and the switch will happen.

Don't let your valuable partner, donor, or customer switch and disappear out of the blue.

Mere satisfaction is a given.

But surpassing expectations and finding out what would delight them at every stage of their relationship with you is the challenge. 

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