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What would you do in the face of a hungry lion?
Creative
choices make all the difference
There is an African proverb that goes like this:
"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run
faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion
wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to
death. It doesn't matter whether you are the lion or the gazelle. When the
sun comes up, you better start running."
The wisdom of this parable applies to our business environment as well. Too
often companies try to outrun as
competitors, rather than carving their own path, and pursuing distinctive
strategies. This leads to a misguided focus on current competitors and the
market status quo, rather than a focus on flexibility, adaptability, and
fast action. If you fall into this trap, you become oblivious to new market
opportunities and exposed to unexpected developments.
Inspired by the proverb above, consider the following scenario to
illustrate:
Three
tourists are on a safari in Africa. While they are walking along in a
nature reserve, a ferocious lion suddenly jumps out of the bush in front of
them. It is hungry and sees an opportunity to make an easy kill. It roars
loudly, showing its fangs. Its intentions are clear: it wants to feast on
one of the unlucky tourists.
The first tourist, terrified and overcome by fear, turns white, stops dead
in his tracks, and is unable to move.
The
second tourist, after a moment of reflection, starts to remove all his
unnecessary equipment and clothing and begins to stretch out.
Meanwhile,
the third tourist stands there with his hands in his pockets, calmly assessing
the situation.
After
a couple of moments pass, the first tourist looks at the second and yells
hysterically, "You're crazy! There is absolutely nothing you can do to
run away from this lion!" The second tourist turns to him and says,
"You are right. But it's not the lion that I have to outrun. It's you
that I must outrun." A few seconds later, the third tourist reaches
into his pocket, pulls out a lighter, flicks it on, and scares away the
lion.
What's the lesson of this story? To be sure, there
are parallels between this perilous encounter and the worrisome situation
facing companies during periods of adversity. The three tourists represent
the different reactions companies tend to have.
The
first tourist, of course, is the one that is completely caught off guard
and is unable to adjust, finding himself in the most vulnerable position.
He has no plan of escape, just as many companies lack the flexibility to
deal with unexpected market developments.
The
second tourist is a little better, but his strategy is that of mere
survival. His approach is that as long as he is not the one caught by the
lion, he will be okay. The way he feverishly throws off his clothes and
equipment is symbolic of companies blindly slashing expenses just to stay
afloat.
In contrast, the third tourist personifies the
perspective of unconventional wisdom. When companies dare to continuously
ask the 'what if ?' questions, they no longer have to accept the
undesirable consequences of a seemingly threatening situation. Instead,
they can look for creative alternatives that may be very simple, even
trivial, in hindsight. Just like the third tourist, who puts himself in
full control of the confrontation with the lion by the simple, unexpected
step of igniting a lighter. So ask yourself this: Do you have something in
your back pocket? Put slightly differently, does your business have the
flexibility to adapt to unforeseen developments, and to turn adversity into
opportunity?
——— Gabor George Burt ——— The author is an expert
on innovation, creativity and strategy
CDET131004
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