Life is all about choices, and of course choices means a lot of alternatives. Generally, i think that the proportion scale between listening to the elephant or the rider should be equal or it can vary in small margins.
However i think that every time that we make a certain decision, first we listen to the rider but i personally never take that decision without CONSULTING to the elephant.
The elephant is part of being a human being, is part of having desires and wishes, it is about making proper and in proper decisions, is about daring and perceiving, it has born with us. Before being directors, managers or supervisors we are first humans. So, we can never escape from the elephant, it is and it will be always there, as present as the rider. Maybe, we can be lead by the rider, and maybe it can result in very positive results. But when it comes to negative results we always find our self and strength to move on and to achieve the desired results, to the elephant. They are both very important separately, but we can better succeed and excel when they are managed properly together.
There is nothing wrong and to be afraid of from the elephant. We have to make the elephant that we have in move in accordance with the rider (not expel it)and motivate the elephants of our subordinates. I think that we should be afraid when we see our self lead ONLY by the rider...
