Indecisive corporate leaders learn your HR wisdom from Ostrich

Some time we have to forget or neglect or abandon our responsibility consciously considering the larger interest. Although such an act may be sometime seen as cruel or heartless or irresponsible but such display of leadership is inevitable to save the future.

Look at the leadership display Ostritch that incubate the eggs. Always the communal incubation programme of ostrich will have large number of eggs in the clutch that are often laid by different birds in the colony. As a result the hatching time of different eggs in the clutch would differ from days to week. During such period the struggle of ostrich would be very high as they are always surrounded by several precarious hatchlings and also yet to hatch out eggs they have to be protected from predators. Ostrich is indeed a ground nesting bird. In most occasions the birds defend and ward off the predators wisely.

The most intriguing behaviour ostrich has been known to display especially when a crow notices their eggs/chicks. When a crow notices the eggs and chicks, the ostrich often waste no time, gather all the chicks and would swiftly move away leaving rest of the yet to hatch out eggs in the nest. The reason being, crow would make huge noise and seek the attention of many other predators that would pose great danger to all the hatched out chicks. So the bird may be chose to abandon rest of the eggs to the predator so all the hatched out chicks are safe.

From emotional point of view we can blame such an act of ostrich as heartless and irresponsible. May be in a few hours to days, rest of the eggs also may hatch out so having waited so long to hatch out several eggs, why the mother ostrich choose to abandon rest of the eggs and give importance to the chicks that are hatched out.

In corporate life also people may encounter such similar situation. When people have taken up some important project and they have completed it near 90% and spending time further on such project completing the said project if would affect other parallel projects adversely, considering the importance and value of the project in hand versus the projects to be attended, one has to stop either the project that has been completed near 90% or must forget some other projects. One has to use the wisdom in taking right decision and should not allow emotion to dominate in such decision making process

Perfection does not mean achieving the mere goal at 100% but making the goal that is achieved must be usable, meaningful and futuristic.

Imagine if the ostrich had only one goal that all eggs must be hatched out, perhaps they may achieve the above goal but at the end may also loose all the hatched out chicks to predator. Then what is the use of such effort and time economics? Indeed ostrich is wise and prudent in making right choice. Similarly every corporate employee also must take right decisions considering the larger interest and profit than acting as mere agents of effort and result where ensuring the future value of all such results are not their concern or part of their job definition.

Dr S Ranganathan