The vineyard had a broken fence. The workers knew about the hole but ignored it. Soon, they noticed grapes near the opening were missing. Puzzled, they investigated and discovered a few foxes creeping through the hole at night, devouring the harvest.

 
This simple story holds a 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 for us:
 
 The “𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆” represents issues or problems we know about but choose to ignore.
 
 The “𝒇𝒐𝒙𝒆𝒔” are the negative consequences that creep in when these issues are left unaddressed: inconsistencies, unfair treatment, empty promises, leadership by poor example, etc.
 
When these “foxes” can creep in and roam free, unhappiness and toxicity can quickly spread among team members.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲

Leadership does not start with a title, seniority, or capabilities. Leadership begins with self. It is about proactively addressing the “holes” before the “foxes” destroy your team’s morale, cohesiveness, and productivity.

What ‘little foxes’ have you encountered in your professional journey, and how did you address them?