Rudyard Kipling had more or less the right idea. In the “How the Leopard Got His Spots” story, the Ethiopian endowed his feline friend with spots as camouflage for life in the trees.
“You can lie out on a leafy branch and look like sunshine sifting through the leaves; and you can lie right across the centre of a path and look like nothing in particular,” the Ethiopian told the Leopard. “Think of that and purr!”
Scientists at Bristol University analysed the markings of 35 wild cat species to understand better what drives the evolution of so many beautiful and intriguing patterns. They captured detailed differences in the visual appearance of the cats by linking them to a mathematical model of pattern development.
Broadly they confirmed that coat markings help the animals to melt into their surroundings. All cats benefit from camouflage as predators, helping them to stalk their prey until they are close enough to catch it. And small cats also benefit from protection from predation by big carnivores.
Cats such as leopards – which live in dense habitats, among trees and are active at low light levels – are the most likely to be patterned, especially with irregular or complex shapes. Species that live in open grassland, such as lions, tend to have plainer coats.
Having several environmental niches that different individuals of the species can exploit allows atypical colours and patterns to become stable within a population.
But what does any of this have to do with me Jay? I hear you ask…..
Well, just as in Ethiopia, as business owners we often find ourselves living and working in a largely densely populated environment – the ‘concrete jungle’ and we too could be compared to some of the characteristics of these and other animals to survive!
BBC Radio4 recently played a series entitled ‘Human zoo’ in which it discussed how we, (because we have an inner desire to like and be liked) often shape our characteristics to model that of our peers, our surroundings, our environment in order to survive! and when a new character enters into ‘our space’ we quickly analysis if they are ‘like us’ and then determine if we welcome or detract them from being part of our tribe. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03bhcwg
It also talks about disruptors and influencers and the impact introducing a ‘new animal’ into a tribe and the effect this has on it. You introduce a lamb into a pack of wolves, its lunch time! However you introduce a lion and immediately the power balance has shifted so significiantly it attracts a very different reaction!
The same can be said in the world of business, especially in the concrete jungle. When everyone is fighting to be heard, and looking for inspiration from the ALPHA male, characters can soon become tainted from that of nature, turning us into a ‘fight for survival’ or ‘fight to get noticed’ or ‘fight to climb up the pecking order’ mentality.
Remember the story of the 5 monkeys? ironically it’s happening EVERY DAY in business too “I don’t know, thats just the way it’s always been done around here!” https://youtu.be/y-PvBo75PDo
I understand we are all evolving. Non of us can afford to be dinosaurs so stuck in our ways we fail to evolve with our environment and become extinct. However, it concerns me deeply that in the cut and shut of busy life, of 24/7 connectivity and in a world where trends come and go so quickly, that failing to remain grounded, failing to remember WHO YOU REALLY ARE, failing to grasp SELF is creating a world full of confusion where there is constant change, where only the strong will survive. It’s too easy for the wolf to become a jackel, fighting in packs, ignoring all but their own and live by scavenging the remains left by the Lion!
I am Jay Allen, Founder of the Ethical Coaching Company My TrueNORTH. We specialise in helping business owners recalibrate their business AWAY from Magnetic north and ‘shiny object syndrome’ and back towards TrueNORTH and YOUR Utopia.www.mytruenorth.biz