The fastest way to scatter a herd is to try too hard.
I just relearned that on a cattle drive in the Flint Hills with Robby McGehee and Kevin Duncan.
Like every man who's read Lonesome Dove, I went in thinking I was Gus McCrae. The cattle had not read the book.
Nobody pushed. Each rider took a position along the flank and held it. The herd found the gaps.
Lean in too hard and they scatter.
Back off too far and nothing moves.
The rider at the back wasn't in charge. Neither was the one on the ridge. Everyone had a spot. The job was to hold it.
That's the real story of Lonesome Dove: two men who held their place beside each other for a lifetime.
Most of what matters works the same way: Friendships. Marriages. Families. Partnerships.
None of them need a hero. They need someone who shows up in the same spot, every time.
That’s the goal.