Tremendous Tracey
Mr. Bo Tangles: The Ally I Almost Hissed
I was deployed to the UAE during the first Gulf War when I read Leon Uris's The Haj, and one phrase branded itself into my soul: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I spent decades studying why people move in and out of groups — through my PhD research, my leadership practice, and my deep appreciation for Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory. I never expected my most powerful illustration would have scales.
I screamed at a baby garter snake in 2022. By 2026, I was calmly coaxing an eight-foot black rat snake off my kitchen blind. That transformation — from terror to trust, from out-group to tribe — is the whole leadership lesson. Some relationships you recognize immediately. Others take time, research, and a glass door between you and eight feet of black rat snake.
Meet Mr. Bo Tangles. And the ally you might be missing right outside your door.
