Herding Lions: Leading High-Performing Executive Teams
“How do you herd a group of lions? I have no idea. But I know that if you don’t start with a healthy respect for the lion’s capabilities and agenda, it won’t end well for you.” Blogger and software developer Ben McCormick, in 2019.
Introduction
High-performing executives are typically not followers; they are leaders in their own right—strong, intelligent, independent, and highly competitive. Usually they have risen vertically through a particular path in the company. Now, at the top levels, they need to work horizontally as well. They need to work with people just as goal-oriented as themselves, holding both the bigger picture and their specific responsibilities, but they have their own ambitions, and their own strong-willed perspectives. And as a CEO, your role is not to tame these lions but to harness their collective power to drive your organization forward. This is the essence of herding lions. McCormick goes on to say, “When you treat people like lions, it’s an opportunity to stop and figure out why they’re not just getting on board with your obvious plan.”
You can’t herd lions; you develop a pride.
The Nature of Lions in Leadership
Lions are apex predators—fierce, strategic, and commanding. Executives rise through similar traits—deeply competent, driven by results, and accustomed to making big decisions. For lions to be effective in the C-suite, they must be inspired, aligned, and strategically guided toward a common goal. In the wild, a pride of lions is a perfect example of cooperative hunting to bring down prey larger than themselves.
The challenge of herding lions is balancing authority with empowerment, providing a clear vision of the collective outcomes necessary for the Company to thrive without diminishing their individual ability to take initiative.
The Challenge of Leading Independent Thinkers
Many leaders make the mistake of believing that assembling a group of high-performing executives will automatically result in synergy. In reality, strong personalities often lead to friction. The competitive instincts that make them great can also lead to territorial disputes, power struggles, and misalignment (the office equivalent of marking trees).
A CEO’s job in herding lions is to:
Channel their strengths – Every lion has its domain. Ensure they are operating in their zone of genius and leveraging their unique skills.
Align their focus – Lions on the hunt have a shared mission. Your role is to ensure every executive runs in the same direction towards a collective goal.
Manage egos strategically – Every lion has its own goals. As a leader, you must understand how to position their goals in the context of the Company’s vision.
Encourage collaboration without forced consensus – When lions circle their prey, each one may have a very different perspective. High-performing executives must be given space to challenge ideas while ultimately committing to collective decisions.
The absence of conflict is not harmony, it's the precursor to a lack of alignment and commitment.
Building a Powerful Pride
A lion leading other lions must embody a different kind of leadership. You are not there to dictate every move; you are there to set the vision, define the parameters for success, and create an environment where collaboration flourishes without diminishing individual excellence. Leading lions is not Founder Mode.
Lead with clarity – Lions follow leaders who exude confidence and communicate a clear vision.
Recognize and leverage their individual strengths – Understand what drives each executive and position them for maximum impact.
Know when to step in and when to step back – Great leaders know when to let their lions lead and when to assert control to maintain cohesion.
Let them know you have their backs - The roar of a lion lets others know that they protect their pride.
Final Thoughts
Herding lions is about mastering the art of leading leaders. It is about creating a culture where strong individuals align their ambitions to accomplish what cannot be done alone by directing individual success toward collective results. For reading that might prove helpful in your herding lions journey, see “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Pat Lencioni and “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership” by Chapman et. al.
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