In the Corporate Kingdom, Like the Animal Kingdom - Few Lions Die A Natural Death

 

POINT TO PONDER

"The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction."

                              - Jonathan Haidt

 

STORY LINE by Anand Shah

The other day I was out to lunch with one of my former bosses. During our meal my former boss ran into two colleagues from a company of which he had previously worked. After the usual exchange of pleasantries, his two co-workers started filling him in about the affairs at his previous company. The two gentlemen told him that one of the highly respected executives who they all knew, and who had contributed immensely to the company for past 25+ years, left the company because he was unfairly deemed the “fall guy “ regarding the failure of the company's latest initiative. They made it a point to mention that at the same time this person's boss, who was also responsible for the project, was promoted into the higher level position holding no accountability for the failure. They lamented that such senior person, with so great many achievements, had to go in this unfortunate way.

Listening to this conversation, I could not resist to share a story from my 40 years of working in the industry of similar episodes I have witness and experienced. I told them, “my friends, in the corporate kingdom, much like the animal kingdom, very few lions die a natural death.” 

If you ever observe lions in the wild, they seem to work in packs, getting along for the sake of the kill. For meals. For protecting. For survival. Much like in the wild, the lions of the corporate kingdom seem to get along, collaborating when there is a common purpose, where everyone of them has a vested interest in the job at hand, and they feel that the other lions surrounding them are going to be of value in the quest for that common kill. Let's just hope you're on the lion's side and not the kill side because positions can shift quite quickly based on an ever shifting circumstantial landscape. 

And when you do see these lions feed after the kill, do you see any of them sharing or helping the other once the buffalo has been laid to rest? No. Each one is busy eating his own part, as fast and as much as he can swallow while secondary lions and hyenas are left on the outskirts, waiting for any left overs, if there are any. 

And what happens to the lion when he becomes weak or seen as not useful to the pack? Do they trot gracefully into the sunset to die a peaceful death under a Baobab Tree? No...

Most lions in the wild are killed by the very lions and hyenas they were surrounded by when they were at the peak of their health and resourcefulness. The animal kingdom is no different than the corporate kingdom. 

Back in the civility of the restaurant, my former boss and his two former co-workers were so engrossed in listening to my story, that they forgot the delicious meal getting cold on the plates before us. So like any good lion, I reached to the middle of the table, stuck my fork into the juiciest part of the dish and took my share. 

 

Comments

[Fan of FR]

Funny story. one clarifying point. in lion kingdom, the king stays with the pack and does not blame others for failures.

[Other Gender]

Your picture is representative of the real animal world. Lioness are major contributor for achieving the goal aka kill. Lion just walks in for the meal.
Time you recognize the diversity of animal kingdom and the talent, contributions and initiative of the other gender. LOL

[Malay Man]

Great analogy with lot of humor. Good Friday.

[TEK]

In the fields of Silicon Valley, all employees/animals get benefits such as stock options, annual raise, retirement plans; big lions, small ones and other inhabitants of the kingdom. so that regards our kingdom different.

[CJ]

To TEK
in corporate hiearchy, the lower levels get only left overs, not the main meal. How many times you know of a higher level person, letting go his raise, stocks to the lower levels? There are a few, and I mean rarely, where it has happened.

Be aware that the amount the highers get is obsenely, no comparison to what Lions get.

CJ

[Friend]

Aside from the dinner analogy in the restaurant at the end, that was rather depressing statement on the human race
True but depressing

[New Graduate (received by email, posted by FR team)]

What a great analogy comparing corporate with wild world !
I think at basic level all humans are still striving for survival. Just how far you can extend your ability to predict the future.
This is a great lesson for me as I have no experience with corporate world and good to know the underlying mechanism of how things work so I won't get surprised when things go south.

[gs]

Real life story said in a fun way :)

[NJ]

Few years ago my family took a Safari trip, which we witnessed the lions hunt and fight for their shares of the killed, exactly like the story described. However, we also witnessed a group of elephants, big and small, surrounding a dying older elephants. Well, a leader of a company can create a culture such that his/her company behave like a lion kingdom or an elephant family.

[NJ]

Few years ago my family took a Safari trip, which we witnessed the lions hunt and fight for their shares of the killed, exactly like the story described. However, we also witnessed a group of elephants, big and small, surrounding a dying older elephants. Well, a leader of a company can create a culture such that his/her company behave like a lion kingdom or an elephant family.

[Silicon Valley Friend]

Good story; sadly, that happens in the competitive corporate world. I liked the funny ending.

[Bobby]

"So like any good lion, I reached to the middle of the table, stuck my fork into the juiciest part of the dish and took my share."
- Epic finish to the story. Thought provoking.

[ZMAN]

"now you now the rest of the story"...
thanks for sharing