What does a short leash mean?
A leash is a kind of rope. We use a leash to walk our pet dogs. The leash keeps the dog from running away or getting into trouble.
Keeping a person on a short leash means keeping him or her under close control. The person cannot make many decisions for himself or herself.
Word expert James Rogers found a similiar saying used more than four hundred years ago.
In fifteen sixty, writer Thomas Becon said in a religious book: "For God hath them in leash. Yea, they are his slaves."
Miz Cleveland does not keep her workers on a short leash. Instead, she urges them to create better ways to do business.
For example, her secretary proposed an idea. She said the company should give a prize to the best student in the high school near its factory.
The winner could use the prize money to study at a university.
