The Bell Cow

Have you ever heard the term, "The Bell Cow?"  The bell cow is another way of saying the leader.  She's the cow that leads all the rest of the herd back to the barn at milking time.  It is nice to have a bell cow so that you don't have to walk out in the pasture to get the cows for milking every day.  The term bell cow was derived when farmers recognized the beauty of have one and began putting a bell around the lead cow's neck so that when she started heading to the barn, the other cows would hear her, notice, and begin following her back to the barn.

We don't have a bell around Daisy's neck, but it is clear that she is our "bell cow."  She is the leader - the matriarch of the herd.  She leads the others to the barn, away from it, and anywhere else.  It's remarkable to watch Rosie and Amy watch her to determine what they are going to do and when they are going to do it. They'll even follow her to drink water at the water trough.

Below you can see Daisy, the bell cow, leading Rosie back out to pasture to eat grass. Later Daisy will lead her back into the shade to sit down, nap, and chew cud until she decides it's cool enough to go back out and eat.  Rosie will obediently follow her.  If you look closely below, in addition to seeing the bell cow, you can see Big Boy, our Great Pyrenees, at his post on top of the chicken tractor watching over his livestock.

Daisy, our Bell Cow

This type of situation goes on all throughout the animal kingdom with 'pecking order' determined within each grouping of bird or animal.  If you pay attention to group dynamics, you'll see this play out with humans as well.  Certain people have attributes that give them the ability to lead people.  This can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing.

In one of my favorite movies of all time - "Braveheart," the people needed a 'bell cow' that they found in William Wallace to lead them to stand up and fight against tyranny.  Another William - William Churchill, acting as Prime Minister of the U.K. during WWII, inspired his people to defend their homeland and to 'never give up.' Sports teams look for a leader like a quarterback to be the coach on the field, to rally the troops.  Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader who led a peaceful revolution to bring equality.  The Greatest Leader of all time, to me, is Jesus Christ.  He inspired others with His vision.  He changed the world.  It's been over 2,000 years and He's still changing the world and His words and His methods are still life changing and revolutionary.

On the other hand, Bell Cows can often lead the others astray.  I can remember an old cow on the farm when I was a kid that would lead a group of cows to go through weak places in the fence and they would get out during the night and roam, trekking through soybean and rice fields, wreaking havoc and causing mayhem. We'd patch up the fence and she would lead her group of outlaws through the fence in another area.  We learned that the best thing you can do to cows like that is to bring them to the sale.  They are bad leaders and use their authority to contribute to the delinquency of the rest of the herd.  Once you remove her, order is restored.  A new leader will emerge and you hope it is a good one.

Humanity has had its share of bad leaders.  Hitler, Pol Pot, and Joseph Stalin immediately come to mind.  To rephrase that, they were actually good leaders, it is just that they used their abilities to do evil instead of good. It is important to have good leaders that are willing to use their abilities for good.  It is important to be a leader. Are you a leader or a follower?  If you are a leader, are you using your giftings for good?  If you are a follower, are you certain that the person you are following is leading in the right direction?

All good questions to ponder.  Even the best leaders have faults.  Daisy is a pretty good bell cow, but there was that one time where she led Rosie and Maggie to go through the electric fence and out onto the road in front of the house.  Fortunately, neighbors passing by pulled into our driveway and alerted me and I was able to catch them before they got hurt or damaged anyone's property.  People can be like that, too. and you learn quickly that it is dangerous to blindly follow anyone, except for Jesus Christ.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. —John Maxwell