What Tracking Tigers Can Teach Us About Business: Lessons in Leadership and Resilience

When you see a safari advertised, there’s always plenty of action and an abundance of wildlife, with families or honeymooners eagerly observing through big lens cameras or binoculars. It leads you to believe that, just like we’ve come to expect in today’s fast-paced world, instant gratification is practically guaranteed. However, in reality, the bush and the wild kingdom that inhabits it don’t operate that way. The best achievements—much like success in business—require time and patience.

We rarely share the critical insights from those moments of stillness, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. Social media isn’t conducive to highlighting the journey that leads to that prized photo or breakthrough. Instead, it’s often a space for professional self-promotion and showcasing recent accomplishments. While celebrating successes is important, there’s immense value in observing the stillness, navigating the path toward greatness and impact—especially since transitions are a common experience in our careers.

I recently took a sabbatical after a successful 12 years as an executive leading communications for one of the largest companies in the world, and nearly 20 years in communications more broadly. This decision was entirely mine—and I’m proud of it. Over the past few months, I’ve advised senior executives across both the private and public sectors, served on boards, and refined my skills through executive education with the World Economic Forum focused on AI, public policy, communications, and emerging trends—all while reigniting my passion for travel, people and culture. I made a conscious decision to invest in myself so I can return to my next role with a richer global perspective, enhanced capabilities and drive that organization forward.

I purchased 15 tickets to destinations I’ve been itching to visit, immersing myself in diverse cultures and defining what the next chapter of my career will look like. Leaving a job that you excel at, but have become comfortable in, to pursue your true potential is both uncomfortable and, to put it plainly, daunting. Recent buyouts have dominated the news, and over the last few months, I’ve experienced what it’s like to choose a package for myself and more importantly, for my future.

No one talks about these pivotal moments, but navigating the journey to reach your next peak offers valuable lessons, opportunities for growth, and humbling experiences that undoubtedly shape the leader you become when you plant that next flag.

Today, I’m launching a new thought leadership series on LinkedIn, sharing the lessons I’ve learned from my 15 tickets and how each experience informs the kind of leader I aspire to be. Each read will take no longer than savoring your favorite tea or coffee and hopefully inspire those who are in a period of transition (or are considering it) to pursue more daring and fulfilling endeavors than mindlessly scrolling through job postings on LinkedIn.

Now, about those tigers…

Plane Ticket 1: Ranthambore National Park, India

Three days, six game drives, and one hour. That’s how long it took in Ranthambore National Park to find a trio of tiger brothers lounging unfazed in the shade. I had traveled all this way just to see these magnificent felines.

When you’ve flown seventeen hours, driven an additional six, and spent hard-earned money to get onsite, you arrive with high expectations. The tigers, however, had other plans. In Ranthambore, there are 10 zones that operate on a lottery system; each morning, you pull a ticket for the zones closest to the core, which are zones one through three and home to the densest population of tigers. Zones four through six are still populated, while seven through ten are scarce. I pulled seven to ten the first two consecutive days of my three-day trip straight. There is no amount of money or influence that can secure you a spot in the core—just luck.

Even with the odds stacked against me, I approached each morning with optimism, convinced that the tigers would reveal themselves at least once during our three-hour drives. We set out before dawn, meticulously tracking paw prints as they led us from one area to another. After a midday break, we ventured back out for an early evening drive, seeking water sources and notorious hiding spots. Yet, despite our best efforts, not a single sighting. Each night, I gathered around the fire pit, listening intently as fellow lodge guests recounted their encounters, sharing photos and stories that sparked both a tinge of disappointment and renewed hope. On the third morning, I found myself assigned to zone 10—dubbed the barren land. My heart sank.

As I sipped my masala chai at 4:45 AM, waiting to board my 5 AM truck into the national park, it took nearly every ounce of my being to lace up my boots. Yet, I found hope and optimism deep within. As I reached the lobby, the camp’s manager told me to wait a moment; they had heard there was a change of plans. My patience and hope were nearly depleted, but I sat, smiled and waited. An hour later, a jeep pulled up with a lovely Indian family who motioned for me to come over. They explained that someone in their family wasn’t up for the morning drive and had heard about the American girl at the lodge who had come up short on her last day in the park. They graciously offered me their spot.

An hour later, we were barreling through zone three, lush with vegetation I hadn’t seen in the other zones but could appreciate more because of my previous experiences. Suddenly, over the radio, a fellow guide announced he’d seen tracks close to a riverbed. As we approached, I tried to temper my hopefulness to avoid disappointment, but when we reached the edge, there they were—three big lazy boys enjoying an afternoon nap. I don’t have an Instagram-worthy photo of these boys because they positioned themselves in a place where we all had to maintain a healthy distance, but I saw them with my own two eyes, and they were certainly worth the wait and the plane ticket.

As I headed from the Park to Agra, it wasn’t the beautifully striped creatures I was thinking about, it was the family whose sense of humanity afforded me that extraordinary moment in the wild. I probably won’t forget those tigers anytime soon, but I know I definitely won’t forget my new friends ever.

My Travel Takeaways in Two:

Life’s Uncertainties:

Pulling a strong hand isn’t guaranteed in life. It can be challenging to maintain faith and visualize reaching your goals when you face setbacks. However, as an optimist, I consistently find joy in the humanity and goodness of everyday people.        

Adaptability in Leadership:
 
Life—and business—is about adapting to the zone you’re in. A respected leader once told me that corporate promises are cheap—and he’s right. No matter how you slice it, like the animal kingdom, circumstances can shift overnight, or in my case, in a matter of an hour. Sometimes new factors are introduced into an ecosystem, and the landscape changes. In this instance, adding new people into my morning literally changed my zone and ultimately my outcome for the better. But the reverse is equally probable. It’s how you show up in these moments that counts. You must identify your non-negotiables and stick to them—but then let the rest flow.        

Have you experienced a random act of kindness recently? Did it teach you anything valuable?

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