A Lesson from Max
David Freund

Whenever I begin a coaching session, I ask my client, “What’s going well?”

There’s a reason for that: when we begin with the positive, minds open up. People become more creative, more innovative, and more willing to engage. When we jump straight into problems, people often become defensive and shut down.

Recently, one of my clients shared that something going well in his life was his buddy, Maxy. Now, Maxy happens to be a dog — and my client has been working on training him. Apparently, Maxy is learning quite well. I was thrilled — not just because this was a meaningful positive for my client, but because it was the tenth item on his “what’s going well” list.

Now you might be wondering… why bring this up? Well, because of what he added next: “The importance of patience and positive reinforcement.”

By now, you know me well enough to expect that I’ll find a leadership principle in just about anything — and this one jumped right out at me: The importance of patience and positive reinforcement.

When I reflect on my own leadership in the past, I can clearly see times when I lacked both. I was often too impatient, too critical, and — if I’m honest — I didn’t always set clear expectations. The result? I was disappointed, and my team members were frustrated. The truth is, not everyone learns the same way — and not everyone learns at the same pace.

I experienced this firsthand. In school, I struggled with some learning challenges. I often felt discouraged and didn’t enjoy the experience. Over time, I realized I simply learned differently. I needed to see it and hear it — not just read it. I needed to watch things in action rather than absorb them from a textbook. At the time, I couldn’t articulate what was happening in my mind, and as a result, everyone involved felt frustrated.

Here’s something we all understand instinctively: positive reinforcement works. Back when we were potty training our children. There was always a bag of M&Ms nearby — ready to reward the behavior we were hoping to see.

Now imagine if we brought that same mindset into our leadership. What if, instead of walking around looking for mistakes, we focused on catching people doing things right? What if we put down the “red pen” we carry in our peripheral vision—the one that circles everything that doesn’t meet expectations—and replaced it with encouragement?

Let me ask you this. What if there were a simple way to increase productivity by 5–10%? What would you be willing to try? What would you be willing to invest?

According to a study from the University of Oxford, happy workers are 13% more productive than unhappy workers.

No additional tools.
No bonuses.
No raises.

Just patience and encouragement. That’s a powerful leadership strategy—and a recipe for success.

Who do you need to have more patience with? Where can you offer a sincere thank you or great job!?

Remember, everyone deserves to be led well.