What You Feed Will Grow
Way up north, in a small frontier town, there lived an old trapper.
Each weekend, he would come into town to restock supplies...and to bet on the dog fights. He had two dogs of his own: one brown, one white. Both were strong, fierce, and smart. And they often ended up fighting each other.
People noticed something strange. When his dogs fought, no matter which dog he bet on, he always won his bet. If he bet on the brown dog, the brown dog won. If he bet on the white dog, the white dog won. Week after week, he kept winning.
Finally, a brave soul asked him, “How do you always know which dog is going to win?”
The old trapper smiled and said, “That’s easy. It’s the one I feed that week.”
The Same Principle Applies to Business and Life
That story may be simple, but the truth behind it is profound:
What you feed will grow. What you neglect will weaken.
In leadership, business, relationships, and personal development, we all have “two dogs” inside us...two forces competing for our energy and attention. One is discipline, clarity, vision. The other is distraction, fear, frustration. One is patience. The other is ego. One builds up your team. The other tears it down.
You don’t rise to your goals by chance, you feed your way there.
3 Places This Principle Shows Up in Business
1. Culture
If you feed your culture with consistency, encouragement, clear expectations, and accountability, it becomes strong. If you feed gossip, excuses, or apathy, don’t be surprised when dysfunction grows.
2. Mindset
What thoughts are you feeding each day? Are you focused on opportunity or fear? Are you rehearsing problems or rehearsing solutions? A leader’s mindset sets the tone for the whole team.
3. Habits
Your time, energy, and attention are like food. Are you feeding healthy business habits - planning, delegation, follow-through - or starving them in favor of chaos and last-minute reaction?
You’re Feeding Something Right Now
Every leader, whether they realize it or not, is feeding something. You’re either strengthening your clarity or your confusion. You’re growing trust or mistrust. You’re feeding growth or stagnation.
The good news? You get to choose.
So ask yourself today:
What am I feeding? And what do I want to be strong tomorrow?
Ryan Giles
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