Learning True Empowerment from Nature

While driving down to Kerala on National Highway, I came across beautiful sights which made me reflecting on various aspects. One of those moments were during a short break from driving, when I was curiously watching one of the Brahminy kite (Haliastur Indus) also known as the Red Back Sea Eagle flying around near the beaches of Arabian Sea.

I remembered reading somewhere how an eagle teaches the eaglets to fly. When an eagle wants to teach its little ones to fly from the nest high upon a cliff, hundreds of feet up in the air, it urges one of the little eaglets and with its beak nudges it out of the nest. The eaglet starts to fall, and the great eagle flies underneath, puts its wing out, catches the little one on its back and flies a mile into the air. When you can hardly see the eagle as a point in the sky, it turns sideways, and down falls the little eaglet, fluttering maybe a thousand feet. Meanwhile, the eagle circles around and underneath the eaglet; the eagle catches the eaglet on its wings and carries the eaglet up in the air again. After dishing the young one out again and letting it go, the eaglet comes down farther and farther-sometimes within a hundred feet of the ground. Again the great eagle catches the little one on its back and they go up another mile. The little eagle is at perfect rest, and slowly and steadily it learns to fly. The eagle knows when the eaglet is tired; it spoons the eaglet into the nest, nudges out the next one and starts off again. There is true empowerment – caring, sharing knowledge, providing support, creating confidence, appreciating and the right attitude. Lots to learn from nature!

This is perhaps a beautiful lesson leaders can learn from the nature. Sharing the knowledge and wisdom help team members to reach new heights. 

• Provide support for reaching new heights: When leaders invest their time and resources and share their knowledge and wisdom, it demonstrates the belief they have in their team members. Understanding the potential of team members, where they need development and providing support to equip them for facing changes and new situations truly creates a win-win situation.
• Adopt a positive and right attitude: Similar to smile, attitudes are contagious, especially when working with others. It is important to be mindful of how we project ourselves, how we deal with conflict and changes, how do we respond to situations etc, when we as leaders are trying to empower our team.
• Engage and Appreciate: When people know and understand that they are being valued and they are part of creating value, they are fully engaged in what they do. When the workforce is aware that their work is being appreciated, they feel important which makes them give their best efforts. Caring for the team will earn their trust and respect.
• Communicate and share information: Great leaders think about the needs of their team members. They visualize what is required for their team to perform well and provide them with all the right resources and information. This is what creates the success factor.
• Become a Role Model: Leaders need to be cautious about their attitude, moods, ethics as team members look up to their leader and observe everything they do. In order to be a model for empowerment, great leaders let others observe, listen and experience what empowerment is.
• Develop others for leadership: Great leaders allow their team to share their load providing opportunity to lead. They also transfer authority and make people accountable for what they do. Leaders need to understand the potential of their team members and help them grow into future leaders.