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True achievers and those who aspire to achieve never wish to look different, unique or distinguishable from others in the corporate.   This is what is seen in nature or nature has to share with us.  The above management approach is only the nature has employed while creating different species of fauna and flora. 

Be in the limelight never help one to achieve anything is what the nature conveys to us.  But how true is the above management principle or the belief system in the corporate world.

Unless and until the employees appear different, unique and distinguishable, especially during the corporate meetings, the corporate may declare such employees as ‘useless’.   One has to be ‘noisy’, ‘showy’ and ‘megalomaniac’ to be successful in the corporate world.  Who win at the end seldom matter to people than who display the colours. 

In a zoological garden, I saw people appreciating and describing the peacocks when they were engaged in display and courtship.  The visitors virtually lost in the display and none cared to know who had succeeded in winning the heart of the peafowl.  The question here is ‘are you’ standing along with audience or as a corporate leader and evaluating your people. 

If you are an audience, a sleeping animal in the zoo will never appeal you and only the active one catch your attention and appreciation. 

The other point is that all animals love not to get seen by others to be successful.  It is absolutely true for all predatory and prey animals.  When an animal is ‘seen’ or can be ‘seeable’, it may not find success in most instances.  Look at the deer or zebra, they love to be unseen.  The colour camouflage present in these animals is also only to facilitate their wish to be unseen.    The predators also wish to be unseen to be successful. 

Although the different prey and predatory animals look different and unique in their size, appearance etc., but all of them have a very common need of ‘be unseen’ or get ‘least seen’.   They cannot afford to be obvious, conspicuous and clear.  Even though obviousness, conspicuousness and distinctiveness can been seen among different species of prey and predators, it all has been created only in the framework of ‘how to be unseen’ or ‘least seen’. 

This is what is seen with most achievers.  The larger question is whether one remains as less noticed or more obvious is wise.   Only the reward of such actions alone can define what is wise and not.  

A polar bear has the reason to be white in colour.  If it were in different colour, the same obviousness may go against the very survival of the animal as its prey may notice them easily.  Its achievement and success demand it to be indistinguishable from its surroundings. 

Corporate employees should know that the real achievement lies not in how much noise and display they make but what they achieve at the end of the day.  In most occasions, the ‘show type’ employees sail through because of the well accepted corporate culture.  When the corporate bosses are not that smart or can be easily fooled by the display behaviour of the employees, such culture would continue to thrive. 

The talented people always will remain calm, silent and highly composed.  Never declare such people as unproductive and define some ‘noisy crows’ as the most talented.  Those who are noisy and looking for recognition are really scared as they lack ‘stuff and cream’ and hence they engage in ‘show business’. 

Get your insight from nature and let your management approach help you to alleviate the corporate free from the disease of ‘show business’. 

Management Book – Jungle wisdom for corporate management – lessons from university of nature by Swami Sukhabodhananda and Dr S Ranganathan

Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai