Yesterday, my Chief Happiness Officer, Piper, turned four.
In her tenure, she’s been a loyal teammate. She brings a daily dose of joy, consistency, and routine. I never expected my pup to model the kind of balance, curiosity, and presence that most leadership books try to teach us. But then again, the best lessons often come from unexpected sources.
Here are a few things Piper has taught me about leading (and living) well:
1️⃣ Take your walk breaks. They are not optional.
Leaders often run at full speed. Back-to-back meetings, endless decisions, constant context switching. We push ourselves to “power through,” forgetting that we do our best thinking when we step away.
Piper doesn’t negotiate on walks. She knows when it’s time to move, breathe, and explore. And every time we go, I’m reminded that rest and motion aren’t indulgences. They’re necessities. Those breaks create space where clarity, creativity, and perspective can re-enter the room.
If I want to show up with focus and energy, I can’t treat rest as optional. Neither can you.
2️⃣ Celebrate every win (even if it’s just catching the squeaky ball).
Piper approaches every success, big or small, with full-body enthusiasm. She doesn’t worry about whether it’s impressive enough to share on LinkedIn or if anyone else noticed. She just celebrates.
In leadership, it’s easy to move quickly from one milestone to the next without pausing to acknowledge progress. But teams need to feel that sense of forward motion and accomplishment. Celebrating small wins fuels motivation and belonging. It reminds people that what they’re doing matters.
Joy is contagious. And so is burnout. Choose wisely what you spread.
3️⃣ Stay curious. Sniff everything.
Piper approaches the world with curiosity. Every walk is a new adventure, every new blow-up in the neighbor’s yard demands investigation, every smell tells a story. She doesn’t assume she already knows everything. She stays open to discovery.
That’s a leadership superpower.
Curiosity keeps us humble, connected, and adaptable. It helps us see patterns others miss, ask better questions, and stay grounded in learning rather than ego.
In a rapidly changing world, curiosity might just be the most underrated leadership skill of all.
4️⃣ When things get messy, a nap usually helps.
Dogs don’t overcomplicate recovery. When Piper is overstimulated or frustrated or feeling under the weather, she rests. She doesn’t spiral or overanalyze. She restores.
Leaders, on the other hand, often do the opposite. We push through exhaustion, make reactive decisions, and forget that clarity requires calm.
I’ve learned that sometimes the most productive thing I can do is pause. Step away. Reset. Take a nap. Good decisions rarely come from a place of depletion.
The Joy of Simple Leadership
Piper may not have a title, but she embodies what many of us strive for as leaders. She has presence, curiosity, and joy. She reminds me daily that leadership isn’t just about strategy or results. It’s about how we show up for ourselves and others.
So here’s to the best coworker I could ask for. Always loyal, occasionally disruptive, and never missing a chance to remind me what matters most.
Happy birthday, Piper. You’ve made me a better leader than you’ll ever know.