Nature's Way

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better” ... Albert Einstein

Nature has an interesting way of acknowledging the inherent value of teams. The fastest and most skilled carnivore on Earth is the cheetah, but it has only has a five percent success rate in raising its cubs to maturity. Why? Cheetahs are solitary animals – they work alone to hunt for prey, and to raise their young. If threatened by another predator, they will abandon their food because of the risk. If killed by other predators, their young are left to fend for themselves, and will not survive.

Inversely, the lion cub is six times more likely to survive into adulthood. Lions work as a team in all aspects of their lives; this trait is especially valuable when hunting and rearing their young. For example, lions successfully hunt elephants who are twenty times their weight. If a lion is killed, other lions in their pack will assume the parental role and raise the orphaned cubs as their own – solidifying their overall chances for survival.

Nature’s example of the success of teams translates well into the business world. When professionals aren’t surrounded and reinforced by peers who bring valuable skills and talents to the table, playing to win and ultimate success are much more difficult. But, when peers act effectively as a team – the cards are stacked in your favor.

Teams share a mindset, that together they are more effective than they would be as individuals.