How having pets as a child taught executives valuable lessons

Behind most C-suite executives is pet, according to a new survey of 857 working folks conducted by Kelton Research. Many had a childhood filled with pets. Having a rescue dog to cuddle, a cat to try and turn into a meme, or a fluffy bunny to feed carrots to is not just for adorableness. Having furry companions around the house taught executives valuable lessons as a child. Such as responsibility, empathy, and creativity–qualities they believe helped them to thrive in the corporate world.

According to the survey:

• 93% of C-suite executives grew up with a pet
• 78% of big corporate chiefs attribute their success to their childhood pet
• 24% said their first pet taught them more than their first internship

Moreover, it is not just your children that may receive help from owning a pet:

• 62% said they had become closer to co-workers thanks to pet ownership
• 77% say they have had a big idea while walking their dog

Never stop learning

Learning is how you build your talent stack — skills, knowledge, wisdom, behavioural traits, and accomplishments. Your talent stack is your career capital. Think of your salary as your return on career capital. Think of learning as an investment. Knowledge increases your career capital. It is yours to take with you. You should take full advantage of every opportunity — including taking care of and loving a pet. One of the valuable lessons to achieve success — develop the full talent stack needed for the role.

It is not too late

Animals offer mental and health benefits that can assist you well in your professional life. Few things equate to the joy of coming home to a furry companion. Even if you did not grow up with an animal around the house, it is not too late to benefit from a trip to the shelter:

• 80% of people surveyed said they felt more connected to colleagues who own pets
• 79% said they believe that colleagues with pets are hard workers

Many workplaces, including Google and Amazon, are now pet-friendly. Several billionaire tech titans are proud pet owners, including Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

Science-backed research — valuable lessons

Studies show that pets provide several emotional and mental health benefits. Owning a pet can contribute to your success. Here are three ways:

Pets reduce stress

Pets can lower stress levels and feelings of anxiety. When exposed to a stressful situation, the study participants stroked a rabbit, turtle or toy versions of these animals. The toy versions did not relieve stress. However, petting the actual animals did — even for those participants who initially said they do not like animals.

In another study, dogs were found to reduce pre-exam stress levels in college students. Analyses of the data revealed that the therapy dog sessions had strong immediate benefits, significantly reducing stress, and increasing happiness and energy levels. Also, participants reported significant improvement in negative affect, perceived social support, and perceived stress compared with those in the control group. The results suggest that single, drop‐in, therapy dog sessions have substantial and immediate effects on students' well‐being. However, the outcomes after several hours are small.

In 2013, the American Heart Association released an official statement — pet ownership diminishes stress.

While many adults are used to living in a constant state of stress, workplace and happiness researchers Annie McKee and Emma Seppälä say that it can take a massive mental and emotional toll on you, eventually crippling your success.

Pets boost your mood

By keeping loneliness at bay, a pet can help deter feelings of sadness or mild depression. Studies also show that playing with a pet can promote a positive mood. It causes your brain to release feel-good neurotransmitters like oxytocin, which creates a sense of calmness, and serotonin, which regulates your mood.

Having a positive outlook on life is essential to success. Richard Branson says that he was able to build the multinational corporation because he did not focus on the negative aspects of other airlines and what they were doing wrong.

Positive thinking is [an] incredibly powerful tool. Simply put: positive, proactive behaviour spurs positive, proactive behaviour.”— Richard Branson

Pets help you socialize

In addition to companionship, pets can help foster human interactions as well. A study found that pet owners were 60 percent more likely than non–pet owners to get to know new people.  Dog owners were much more likely to have befriended or received social support from someone they met in a pet-related situation.

Science also shows that having close friendships can help you boost your resilience and bounce back from hardships — a necessary skill if you want to be successful.

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates understand the crucial role friends play in your professional life. They have bounced business ideas off each other and advised each other for the last 25 years.

Some friends do bring out the best in you, and so it's good to invest in those friendships." — Bill Gates

Final Thoughts — Valuable Lessons

As we grow up, we are shaping our behavioural preferences. Research shows that children whose caretaker expressed warmth and are predictably responsive tend to form a secure attachment marked by a lengthy list of positive traits. They:

• have elevated levels of self-esteem, confidence, trust, emotional stability, impulse-control, and resiliency
• tend to be free from anxiety
• are empathic and compassionate
• form friendships easily in childhood and intimate relationships as adults

On the other hand, children whose caretaker was cold, rejecting, inconsistent in their responsiveness, or abusive tend to suffer from a few emotional and social problems. They can be fearful, suspicious, withdrawn, impulsive, clingy, or aggressive, depending on the specific detrimental parenting behaviours they experienced. They tend to have problems forming and keeping healthy friendships and intimate relationships later in life.

Think your traits as your behavioural DNA. High-performers in each role shares a standard set of behavioural characteristics. Knowing which of your behavioural strengths and the specific challenges that you must manage makes you more successful in any given position. Our career assessment gives you this insight. Learning feedback is essential for your growth both personally and professionally.

Pets shape your behavioural preferences. So, do not be surprised if you see your CEO trying to get dog hair off his or her clothes.