The Water Trough- We can't make you drink, but we will make you think!
The Water Trough- We can't make you drink, but we will make you think!
Thoughts on Leadership: An Ostrich's Tale
Leaders inspire, motivate, and sometimes avoid problems – just like Betty the ostrich! Explore leadership uniquely with Ed Drozda, on the latest episode of The Water Trough. What can an ostrich teach you? #LeadershipInsights
Welcome to The Water Trough, where we can't make you drink, but we will make you think. My name is Ed Drost of The Small Business Doctor, and I'm really excited you chose to join me here as we discuss topics that are important for small business folks just like you. If you're looking for ideas, inspiration, and possibility, you've come to the right place. Join us as we take steps to help you create the healthy business that you've always wanted. Welcome back to The Water Trough. This is Ed Drost of The Small Business Doctor, and today we're going to talk about leaders and ostriches.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-1:Let's begin with the ostriches.
If you ever find yourself in Loxahatchee, Florida, on Florida's east coast, I recommend you go to a place called Lion Country Safari. If you haven't been there, then you might find the story rather interesting. And if you have been there, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. One of the big attractions of Lion Country Safari is that you drive through the park and observe the animals in there. natural habitat. And as you exit the park, you'll find yourself going over a couple of rollers on the ground. Those of you that are familiar with parks like this will know what that's all about. It's so that the hooved animals cannot escape. They can't get back out. That way they can leave the gate open. So you can leave As you wish, and your little furry friends won't follow behind you. Well, for those that have been there, you've probably met Betty. Betty is an ostrich. Now, Betty is not your typical ostrich. You see, the thing about Betty is, she hangs out at the end of the drive through Lion Country Safari. And, as you approach those rollers on the ground, She stands there to greet virtually every car that exits the park. She stands in front of the car, and then she walks around the car, pecking on the window, if there's somebody on the opposite side. Seems like she's checking everybody out, wants to know what you are doing, who's in that car, what's going on. It's like she's saying goodbye and thanks for coming to visit.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone):I've been there multiple times, and every time that I've gone, Betty's waiting there to see us. In fact, on one occasion, we were behind as many as ten cars waiting to exit the park, each of them, in their turn, being stopped and subjected to the review by Betty.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-2:Perhaps you're aware of the myth that says that ostriches stick their head in the sand when they're frightened.
we know this is not true. If you ever do see an ostrich with their head in the sand, chances are that they are digging a nest in which to put eggs, but they don't stick their heads in the sand. That's not ostrich behavior. But I did think that the relationship between some leaders and their tendency to try to bury their heads to shy away from the problems that exist was a story worth talking about. the story about Betty was a great way to kick it off, because, honestly, what could be more fun than going to a safari park and having a close encounter? with a seven foot tall ostrich. It really is quite cool. you've got to see it to believe it. So before we start talking about leaders with their head in the sand, let's talk about leaders in general. Who are they? And what are they all about? Certainly we know that leaders are the sorts of folks that inspire passion and motivation in others. They are the folks that have the vision, and they have a sense of how to get to the end point, to the goal. Leaders are all around us. They can be in our classroom. They can be in our organization. They can be in political parties. They can be just about anywhere. Leaders are the sorts of people that we tend to look up to. Now let's face it, if you are told that somebody is a leader, your initial impression is, that's pretty cool. They sound like charismatic people, they have the ability to inspire the masses, to get people rallied behind an idea, and to pursue it together. Leaders sound like really, really great people. Rest assured, leaders, or the idea of being a leader, really is kind of cool. But don't forget, leaders are first people. We don't arrive in the role of leader at the time of our birth. Leadership is something that we Grow into something that evolves and something that we become over the course of time experience and opportunity. And so because leaders have the same limitations, the same sorts of constraints that all people do, it's to be expected. There are going to be occasions when they are going to Do things that will not exactly be leader like, and one of these is the idea of sticking one's head in the sand, that is, of trying to avoid problems. My point is this. Leaders are simply human. We cannot put them on a pedestal and expect them to be something that they are not. Yes, they have the ability to inspire passion and motivation in people. Yes, they may have vision and an idea of how to get to a place that many of us don't. Therefore, those of us that are in a position to follow the leader, those of us that look up to the leaders, expecting of them amazing and great things, have to give them credit for the fact that they too have difficulty in getting things done, that they too Are like us dealing with the various ramifications of life as it is. Why is it important that we recognize that the leaders are like us, that they're human, that they have their faults, their weaknesses, and so on and so forth? Well, this is what it comes down to. Leaders do not get things done themselves. It's through their ability to motivate, to inspire others. It's through their ability to see things that others don't see. that we have the opportunity to accomplish amazing things. A leader serves his or her role, and it's the rest of us working with the leader that brings that role, the purpose of it, to fruition. So you see, the leader is not a stand alone entity. The leader is the one that we look to for answers. But the reality is the leader's looking to us for answers as well. And we can't lose sight of that in the business world, for example, leadership is important to create a strategic plan, a vision of where a company is going, what we're looking to accomplish the leader. is going to convey this information through a variety of tools and methods to the people who will actually get the work done. if that message is not delivered appropriately, and more importantly, if that message is not heard or understood, then no matter how good a leader is, There's absolutely no worthy outcome that will result. The big takeaway from this conversation for me is that we appreciate leaders for who they are, that they are like the rest of us, simply human and that we do not put them in a substantially superior position, but rather that we work with them to accomplish the goals Perhaps to get to the places that we ourselves do not see. Okay, so ostriches and leaders aren't quite the same. Leaders might, avoid problems, but they do not stick their heads in the sand. And we know that when an ostrich does stick its head in the sand, it's digging holes for eggs. But there is one last thing I'd like to point out about Betty, her behavior and how she's actually demonstrating a leadership skill of her own. What she's done here, stopping cars, looking into the cars, checking things out. She's demonstrating curiosity and curiosity is something critical in the role of the leader. A leader finds opportunity by looking at what exists and asking what else could be. I think this is a fair definition of curiosity, not simply content to take the status quo, but looking beyond that, Betty reminds us as leaders or otherwise, that being curious allows us to learn more, to understand things better and to grow and evolve.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-3:Until next time, this is Ed Drozda, the small business doctor here at The Water Trough. I want to wish you a healthy business.