Biomimicry: Leadership Lessons We Can Observe in Nature

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For anyone else who lives in big cities and even many suburban areas, our time outside is often spent walking past stores or getting to cars and buses.  With the exception of occasional treks to Botanic Gardens or summertime hikes and campouts, our opportunity to explore nature can be somewhat limited.  Yet with reruns of Planet Earth, and even Netflix’s Our Planet, many are able, for the first time, to truly explore and understand all of nature’s glory, observing plants and animals in their natural habitats.

What is Biomimicry?

Nature is an incredible tool to explore learning and leadership development.  In fact, there’s an entire study of it called Biomimicry.  Biomimicry is the imitation of what naturally occurs in nature into human-centered products, experiences, and design.  The tiny hairs of a Gecko’s feet that allow them to climb vertical surfaces have influenced the design for rock climbing equipment.  Think of Velcro – the tiny hooks found on bur fruits are what inspired that particular innovation.  The study of birds was instrumental to individuals first looking to create airplanes.  By taking a deeper look at nature – how plants and animals adapt to circumstances, and the elements of the bodies that allow them to thrive – we can be inspired to design and organize our worlds to emulate what makes them successful.

Biomimicry in Leadership: The Wolfpack

In thinking about leadership and teamwork, Wolves can play an excellent example.  When thinking of a group of wolves, we are often drawn back to the idea of the Wolfpack.  It’s the magic of many together that allows for success.  The members of a wolfpack are typically generational – there are young and old alike in the same group.  And, like many teams, wolves have a designated leader, motivating the group to keep going and setting the direction for the pack.

So where is the leader within the pack?  It would be a natural assumption to think that the leader of the wolfpack is at the front.  After all, they are setting the direction and taking the lead.  With most teams, the leader is at the front, taking charge and sharing the vision.  Many leaders charge ahead without taking the time to check in and look back – what happens if the leader continues on, only to realize how few followers they still have?

It may surprise you to learn who is at the front – it’s typically the oldest within the wolfpack.  These individuals may have been leaders at some point, though are now the elders.  They’re oftentimes slower than the rest and, because of this, set the pace.  As fast as they can move is as fast as the rest of the group goes.  Wolves stay in packs for this reason, and respect the speed of the slowest moving individual to make sure they can stay together.

So where is the leader of the wolfpack?  Surprisingly, they are at the back.  This gives them a unique vantage point, being able to see the bigger picture of the direction the group is going in.  It also gives them the opportunity to protect the rest of the pack; if another animal comes to attack from either direction, they can be prepared to run left or to run right to fight them off and protect their peers.  It’s only from this position that they can truly serve out their leadership role.

How does this apply to your leadership role?

As you think back to your team and leadership role – where do you stand?  Are you leading from the front or from the back?  How can we encourage our team members to set the pace – either the newest or even most experience among us, and use our leadership roles merely to guide, protect, and advise?

If you have the time to explore nature this summer, take a deeper look – what can you see in our own worlds that can inspire the way you lead your work and people?