Leadership lessons from Giraffe

Leadership learnt from many sources..one interesting source is animals. One of the animal which amazes me is Giraffe..

Early written records described the giraffe as "magnificent in appearance, bizarre in form, unique in gait, colossal in height and inoffensive in character."
  1. Giraffe is the tallest animal in the world -may be 16-18 feet tall and weigh up to 2,000 pounds . As a leader stand tall among the crowd. Standing tall in intellect, being a role model will enable others to look up to you.
  2.  Giraffes have spots covering their entire bodies, except their underbellies, with each giraffe having a unique pattern of spots. Leaders should be unique in their skills
  3.  Being tall also enables them to scan the entire horizon. As a leader always have the big picture in mind. Wear the blue thinking hat for better decisions
  4.  The giraffe's soup-plate-sized hooves are used as offensive weapons, usually in the defense of the calves. The powerful kick from the front feet can kill a lion.Be ready to protect your organization, your department or team when required.
  5.  Giraffes form scattered herds. Being a gregarious animal, individuals band together into loose groups for protection against predators. Leaders need their team for goal achievement and building the team successfully determines the success of the leader. Have fun with the team. Let them enjoy your leadership and you enjoy their contribution.
  6.  Bulls are non-territorial, and amicably coexist together within overlapping home ranges. Emotional intelligence and good interpersonal relationships are essential for a leader. Good leaders will learn to co-exist with worst people without being influenced by them.
  7.  Each giraffe knows its relative status in the hierarchy, which minimizes aggression. Understanding positions and roles are essential for good leadership. This not only gives role clarity but also enhances the performance of the team
  8.  Giraffes are highly selective feeder. Though a leader should be a good multi-tasker, he/she should also be selective and prioritize the activities for efficient functioning. 
The word "giraffe" comes from an Arabic word, "zirafah", which means "the tallest of all"....as a leader be the tallest of all

    Comments

    1. Priya Dharshini15 July 2011 at 23:25

      Very very impressive analysis Mam!

      May be...i'll start seeing animals with this point of view hereafter! :)

      ReplyDelete

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    Leadership styles

    Leadership is less about your needs, and more about the needs of the people and the organization you are leading. Leadership styles are not something to be tried on like so many suits, to see which fits. Rather, they should be adapted to the particular demands of the situation, the particular requirements of the people involved and the particular challenges facing the organization. In the book “Primal Leadership,” Daniel Goleman, who popularized the notion of “Emotional Intelligence,” describes six different styles of leadership. The most effective leaders can move among these styles, adopting the one that meets the needs of the moment. They can all become part of the leader’s repertoire. Visionary. This style is most appropriate when an organization needs a new direction. Its goal is to move people towards a new set of shared dreams. “Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, but not how it will get there – setting people free to innovate, experiment, take c...
    Read more

    Gain perspectives in Education!

    Image
    Perspectives in Education One angle of Leadership is gaining perspectives - of vision, directions, strategies, people and impact. That's like standing back and looking into a prism to see, reflect, enjoy the colors and feel the vibrancy of the big picture and while being fascinated by the micro colors in the prism - created by light travelling at different speed. Or it is like viewing a beautiful building from different perspectives to enjoy the architectural aesthetics in its full background.  Leadership is all about gaining full picture perspective from different angles for strategic decision making and bring  innovation in the organization. Gaining perspectives pumps energy, drive and clarity in a leadership position to take the organization to higher levels without loosing momentum.  The leaders of the  Learning Sector are seeing unforeseen changes and turbulences and  ...
    Read more