Lessons from Geese provides a perfect example of the importance of team work and how it can have a profound and powerful effect on any form of personal or business endeavour. When we use these five principles in our personal and business life it will help us to foster and encourage a level of passion and energy in ourselves, as well as those who are our friends, associates or team members.
The Importance of Achieving Goals: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an UPLIFT for the birds that follow. By flying in a 'V' formation the whole flock adds 71 % greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: When we have a sense of community and focus, we create trust and can help each other to achieve our goals.
The Importance of Team Work: When a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. Lesson: If we had as much sense as geese we would stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.
The Importance of Sharing: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back in to the formation and another goose flies to the point position.
Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities, talents and resources.
The Importance of Empathy and Understanding: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to the ground to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.
The Importance of Encouragement: Geese flying in formation 'HONK' to encourage those up front to keep up with their speed. Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups and teams where there is encouragement, production is much greater. 'Individual empowerment results from quality honking'.
The original version of Lessons from Geese was written by Dr Robert McNeish in 1972