What does an Elephant have to do with Conscious Leadership? A LOT! There are so many lessons to learn from Nature and the Elephant is a beautiful example.
While working with start-up wildlife conservation organizations, I had the honor of traveling through Africa bringing lessons about leadership to conservation teams. I quickly discovered that the people and animals of Africa had far more to teach me than what I brought to the table. Save the Elephants, a non-profit working out of Kenya to save what is left of these wild wise giants, has studied and documented their behavior for over 40 years. What they uncovered is a treasure trove for leadership wisdom. I was privileged to see that wisdom in real time.
Elephants are a matriarchal society meaning that females lead the community. The matriarch is trusted and respected by all members of the community for her strength, knowledge and compassion in leading them to food, water and safety. She has a track record that is visible, palatable by all members of the family. It is not just on paper. As a leader, walking the talk says it all. What attracts people to follow and trust is how you "be" in the world.
When one of the community is in trouble or hurt, the matriarch leads and directs the effort to support and take care of that family member. Whatever it takes, the community ensures that no one is left behind, everyone receives the support they need and is always seen as an important part of the whole. ·How do we bring more compassion into our business or workplace so that we create an environment where creativity, collaboration, and productivity flourish? Seeing the potential in everyone, working to help them reach that potential and creating a sense of belonging to something larger, engages team members in ways that benefits the success of the business and the whole community.
Since I was in the presence of wild animals and not controlled, tamed or exploited ones, these Elephants had every reason not to trust given their experience of humans. But what I found was that, if you sit in silence, listening and opening yourself up to connection with them, they would slowly make their way over to the vehicle, curiously stretch out their trunk to my arm and make a connection. It was one of the most thrilling and moving experiences of my life. Connection, being open and true listening is all it takes to shift the meeting, the conflict, the problem. And when that connection happens, it's like magic. Anything is possible.
There is so much more I learned from living among these beloved beasts. But it reminded me once again of what I know to be true - Nature has all the answers. Let us learn from her
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