Leadership Lessons from Lions

Lions have been revered for centuries as symbols of courage, royalty, and teamwork. The ancient Egyptians venerated lions as their war deities due to their strength, power and fierceness. The famous sphinxes are just one of many mythical depictions of the lion in Egyptian culture.

Taking a look at how lions socialize and organize, there are several keys which we can apply to our own lives to maximize our daily effectiveness and success.

1. Form Your Pride.

Lions form what's called a Pride - a cooperative group of animals that live together, provide emotional support and hunt as a unit. Now, you may not need to walk out your cave door every morning and chase down your breakfast every day, but take a moment and consider who's in your pride - your inner circle? Have you identified those few key people in your life that you can trust and rely on to help you achieve your goals? Your group is likely formed by a combination of people from different areas - parents, friends, pastors, co-workers or business partners, teammates, etc. This group shares inspiration, energy, and encouragement on a regular basis. Connect with those people regularly. Share your ideas and listen to their feedback.

A man with many counselors is wise. - Proverbs 15:22

2. Be Efficient.

Did you know that despite their intimidating and commanding physical presence, lions spend 16-20 hours per day resting and sleeping? (They have few sweat glands so they wisely conserve their energy, waiting for the cooler evening and night times to get active and hunt.) Lions are also 6x more sensitive to light than humans, granting them outstanding night vision. Lions have figured out that to maximize their survival, they must operate at full capacity within the skill sets that they possess. They don't waste any energy trying to be/do something for which they are not equipped.

Consider how you have spent your time this week. Have you operated within your strengths or did you spend your time in areas that you're not best equipped, or that someone else could do for you? If you have never considered this, or it's been a while since you have done a self-assessment, I encourage you to set aside some time today to write down your strengths - the things that you are uniquely equipped to do. Then use that list to help you tune up your efficiency and maximize your effectiveness by focusing on the areas that you can have the greatest impact. Eliminate or delegate tasks and roles that are not best suited for you, and focus your energy on being the best at what you do best.

3. Roar.

Lions are only one of four cats that can roar. (The others are tigers, leopards, and jaguars.) Lion roars are powerful enough to raise up a cloud of dust, and did you know that their roar can be heard as much as five miles away? So why do they do it? Research indicates its primarily to communicate their location to other Prides.

As a leader, what are you doing to communicate to other leaders? To your team? To your investors? Having all the talent in the world, the best ideas, or the most inspiring message does no good if no one knows you're out there, how to engage with you, and how to take advantage of your skills. Start telling your story. You've gotta have a boldness and courage about who you are and what you have to offer, and be willing to open your mouth and tell others about it. 

There are no limits to what you can accomplish, as soon as you find your own "inner Lion" and get after it!  I'll see you out there! - Rob

 (Special credit to OneKind.org for the information about the lions!)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rob Pierson is a Sales Manager, Motivational Speaker, Professional Basketball Trainer and Life Coach. He has inspired and motivated youth and adults for over 15 years, is the founder of iAthletePromotions (a marketing and promotions company for college-bound student athletes) and Owner and Lead Trainer for the Colorado Shine Basketball Academy (www.shinebasketball.com). Contact him at [email protected] for personal appearances and at https://clarity.fm/robpierson to request a personal coaching session.