#261: Saved from a lioness

I was once charged by a lioness in the African bush. Obviously, I got away from her because here I am telling you about it. So what saved me?

Leadership. Leadership in the form of the game ranger.

Although he carried a rifle, he did not shoot her. When we asked him why not, he said that if he had shot her, then he would have lost his job. His job was to protect the wildlife, not kill it.

What then saved us? Trust. Our trust in the ranger and, because of that trust, our willingness to comply with his shouted instructions.

And there you have the problem in organizations, especially in times of fear and uncertainty - compliance without trust. As hierarchies of power, organizations are good at demanding compliance but ineffective at building trust.

The catch, of course, is that you must be good at both... if you want to escape the lions out there.


I’m JamesMcIntosh@nonsenseatwork.com

Copyright: 2009 James Henry McIntosh

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