Tapping the Armadillo: How to Manage Processes & People

Some time ago, I had the chance to take part in something a bit unexpected—an armadillo race at a Texas festival. But instead of focusing on the quirks of this experience, I realized it served as a useful metaphor for leadership in business.

Let me explain.

Imagine you’re at the helm of a business project. You’ve set everything up—a clear process, tools, and resources. You’ve picked the right team members, just like I picked my armadillo, confident that they have what it takes to deliver great results. Like me with my armadillo, you’ve seen promising signs that they’re equipped for success. You align everything toward the goal, the finish line in sight.

Then, the project kicks off—much like the start of my armadillo race. But instead of racing toward the goal as expected, something goes sideways. The project (or in my case, the armadillo) veers off course. Despite your best efforts in preparation, your team or process falters, heading in an unexpected direction.

What went wrong?

That’s when you realize something: simply pointing your team toward the goal and letting them run isn’t enough. They need consistent guidance, course corrections, and support along the way. In my race, I saw the other participants helping their armadillos stay on track by gently tapping and guiding them, ensuring they moved toward the finish line.

I didn’t succeed in the first race, but when I learned to stay engaged, offering subtle guidance at the right moments, I won the next one. The armadillo wasn’t being controlled but rather directed and supported to ensure success.

The parallels to business are clear:

Consistency matters: When guidance is consistent, it’s easier for teams and processes to succeed. If a manager is constantly resetting everything but never following through, the team won’t reach the finish line. They’ll stay stuck in the corner, like my armadillo, and fail to deliver results.

Start with clear direction: As managers, it’s our job to grab hold of our teams or processes and ensure they’re properly aligned with the business objectives. Sometimes this means pulling things back, resetting, and starting fresh to create a new opportunity for success.

Provide guidance without micromanagement: Like the armadillo race, you can’t just let your people or processes loose and expect them to reach the goal without any guidance. Nor can you control every move they make. It’s about providing the right support at the right time to keep everything on track.

Reset when needed: If things go off course, don’t hesitate to reset. Picking up my armadillo after its initial failure was critical. Similarly, in business, you need to recognize when a project or team member has veered off course, reset, and help them regain their focus.

Leadership, then, isn’t about holding on too tightly or letting go completely. It’s about balancing trust with support and stepping in with guidance when needed.

So, next time you find yourself managing a project or team, remember success isn’t about the initial setup—it’s about how well you guide them along the way.

And if you ever get the chance, go race an armadillo—you might just learn a little something about leadership in the process.

Struggling to keep your team on track?

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