"Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard and you kill it, not hard enough and it flies away"

Managing people and situations requires a delicate balance, demanding both firmness and gentleness. The metaphor of holding a dove in one's hand captures the essence of this balance beautifully. Holding the dove too tightly, exerting excessive control or pressure, can crush its spirit, stifle creativity, and ultimately destroy what makes it valuable. In the context of leadership or management, this translates into micromanaging, rigid oversight, and an unwillingness to grant autonomy. Employees or team members subjected to such control often become demotivated, lose their enthusiasm, or disengage entirely. The unique traits, talents, and potential contributions that each person brings can be suppressed if not allowed space to breathe and grow.

On the other hand, holding the dove too loosely, exercising insufficient guidance or involvement, risks letting it slip away, lost to distractions or lack of direction. In workplace or organizational terms, this reflects neglect, inconsistent feedback, unclear goals, or a lack of accountability. Without structure and support, individuals may stray from the vision, lose focus, or simply leave for environments where their efforts are better appreciated and guided. The organization’s objectives may be compromised, and the sense of unity and purpose can dissipate.

Effective management, therefore, lies in the art of moderation. It involves providing enough support, direction, and boundary to instill confidence, foster growth, and align efforts without resorting to oppressive control. Simultaneously, it means being generous with trust and freedom, allowing innovation, self-expression, and initiative, while still maintaining clarity of purpose. A manager must be perceptive, adapting their grip to each situation and individual: knowing when to step in, when to step back, and how to inspire confidence without fostering dependence or rebellion. The constant awareness of this balance is what ultimately nurtures both the individual and the collective towards shared success, much like caring for the fragile but resilient dove.