Termite, the true leader – An uncommon HR wisdom

Soldier termites known to commit suicide to defend their colony than save own life or make efforts to escape from the responsibility of defending the colony. On the contrary, in human world the self immolation is largely seen among people who want to escape from the world or want to destroy something thus they turns to be suicide squad.

The termite soldiers commit suicide to defend the colony by exhibiting ultimate responsibility of defending the colony. When ants wage war against the colony of termites, the termites have limited option.

Termites cannot fight against ants. Knowing this limitation, the termites often build a very complicated nest called termatirium. The interesting point is that the nest will have single opening. When ants try to enter inside the nest, the soldier termites would block the entrance and in the fierce fight most of the soldier termites would die. But the worker termites sensibly cover the nest from inside during the fight so the ants will not have any chance to enter inside the nest.

Once all the soldiers are killed, ants would search for the entrance but the worker termites would have blocked it smartly. Naturally the ants would settle with the plenty of dead soldiers.

The responsibility chain shown by termites is amazing. Knowing fully well that they would die but still the soldier termites fight with ants just to stop them from entering the nest and also to give sufficient time for the workers to close the nest from inside. The responsibility of soldier is achieved and they never count on their individual benefit. Further they also showcase the responsibility chain and thereby the workers and soldiers protect the eggs and larvae.

When people live the role and bind to the responsibility selflessly, only then the future of the organization can be protected especially during the adverse situation.

But in corporate people shy to take up any such responsibilities and the concept of responsibility chain never exist in most corporate. Everyone seek protection and security and wants others to ensure that. It is not the designation but the responsibility that matters in termite colony. To make people reasonably unselfish and feel safe & secured, the HR culture must be prudent and fair. But unfortunately the HR function in most corporate would exhibit murky culture than being the tread setter.

Whenever there is any threat, the people in corporate tends to abdicate their responsibility and never likes to be visible to others. In termite colony, the soldiers risk their life passionately to save the colony by providing sufficient time for the workers to close the entrance from within.

Every soldier not only willingly engage in such unnatural fete but also offer their dead body as food to the enemy (ants) so that the ants are satisfied and never attack the colony that harbors lots of eggs and larvae. Corporate man has lots to learn from the advanced social organization and division of labour from the taxonomically defined primitive life form – termite.

Dr S Ranganathan