WINNING THE AFRICAN WILD DOG WAY: SIX LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS FROM THE WILD DOG.

Happy New Month of August!

Are you a leader striving for impact or juggling to bring your strategy to life? Your leadership style matters. In similar challenging moments, I have looked to one of my favorite but endangered wildlife species for clues: the African Wild Dog also known as the painted dog. This remarkable animal may look shy, or not leadership material, however, in reality , it’s one animal that has mastered the art of teamwork and leadership. Enabling its pack to achieve hunting goals with outstanding precision. Here are six leadership insights we can draw from this beautiful dog:

1. Achieving Big Goals: The African wild dog successfully hunts large prey relative to its body size by working in cohesive teams. They hunt with a shared objective and share leadership roles to achieve their goals.

2. Efficiency: The African wild dog is the most efficient carnivore, with a hunt-to-kill ratio of around 80%, compared to a lion's 20-30% and a cheetah's 30%. Their secret is effective teamwork. When tracking prey, they follow a line where the front dog moves to the back when tired, and the next dog takes the lead. This is done based on arising need, not structure.

3. Tenacity: The African Wild Dog will stay on hunting mission for three to five days without rest until they succeed. This tenacity and focus contributes to their hunting success. Leaders must keep team members motivated and focused, maintaining a positive, shared positive mindset despite setbacks.

4. Effective Communication: Well-resourced teams often fail due to poor communication. African Wild Dogs use vocalizations, body language, and visual cues to coordinate their hunts. As a leader, you should communicate effectively and adapt to changing conditions without compromising goals. Ensure that each team member understands the importance their role to strategy success thereby facilitating seamless collaboration.

5. Empathy: Wild dogs care for injured pack members by sharing food and offering protection. After the hunt they ensure the young ones eat first, which is opposite to a lion. A team leader who supports struggling employees, redistributes tasks, and provides assistance builds unbreakable team strength.

6. Celebrate Successes: Wild dogs celebrate after a successful hunt. Similarly, acknowledging and celebrating team successes boosts morale and strengthens team cohesion. Organizing team lunches, giving awards, or recognizing individual contributions keeps teams motivated and ready for the next challenge.

These powerful leadership lessons from African Wild Dogs are priceless. They can help you overcome your most daunting challenges. By embracing these principles this month and beyond, you too can lead your team to deliver breakthrough performance, leaving everyone happy and willing to do more. This is why I love the painted dog and why we should ensure it doesn’t go extinct! You can visit the African Wild Dog in South Luangwa, Liuwa, and Kafue National Parks to see them in action.