Trunk Leadership: Why Not Lead Like An African Elephant’s Trunk?
During my many trips to Africa, I have been enthralled by the Eden-like beauty and the visceral wildness of the animals there. Of all of the wild animals that I have seen, the African Elephant has consistently and firmly captured my attention and my deep admiration. In my TEDX International Talk, I spoke about the lessons we can learn from the African elephant.
In this post, on how we humans lead and how the African Elephant’s Trunk is an excellent metaphor example for us. The elephant’s trunk is a critical part of how they lead, warn, inform, protect, and play, with not only other elephants but anyone and anything with whom it comes in contact. Welcome to “Trunk Leadership.”
Trunk Leadership
The elephant’s trunk has no bones or joints. It is a biological marvel comprised of over 40,000 muscles (60 times more than humans) and is thought to be the most sensitive organ found on any mammal. It has the power of a backhoe and the intricacy of picking up an individual leaf. Their sense of smell is five times stronger than humans and more than twice the sniffing power of dogs. Their accordion-like trunk also allows them to extend their reach, grasp more firmly, or submerge and stay below water for joy or necessity.
Imagine if human leadership could lead from the perspective of the African Elephant Trunk!
1. SMELL: Being able to sense, through smell AND vibrations, threats, and opportunities miles (or years) away. In leadership, we might call this business intelligence, emotional intelligence, or just plain intuition. In all the books I have read about leadership, I never heard the use of Smell as a leadership skill and yet here it is and has been for 1.5 million years. John Greenleaf says that the primary role of any leader is foresight. The African elephant’s trunk is uniquely capable of anticipating what’s ahead.
2. STRENGTH: The elephant’s trunk has the duality of great force AND incredibly exacting sensitivity. Imagine leadership that uses its force to dig even deeper and more determined for what it needs to survive or thrive, or more intelligently wrestle complex issues or notice the slightest nuances of a conversation or strategic plan with the very tip of keen observation. This use of strength and sensitivity is a part of leadership that many leaders never quite get – paradox. Too often we think we must use strength OR sensitivity. The reality is, that effective leadership uses both simultaneously. Adam Kahane wrote a book about Nelson Mandela’s leadership style. The book was called “Power AND Love,” not ‘either or.’
3. STRETCH: Sometimes the trunk is out front and leads a charge, invites play, or energetically follows its curiosity. Sometimes the trunk affords long mud wallowing for protection from the sun or the ability to traverse difficult bodies of water. Sometimes the trunk literally elongates to enable the elephant to go beyond usual limits. Imagine your own leadership with this kind of agility. To know when to recoil or pull back and to know when to stretch and to know how far.
4. SIGNALING: Because of the elephant’s nearly unparalleled ability to sense through its feet, ears, trunk, and even their thick leather-like skin, they are constantly aware of what is going on around them – near and far away. Imagine leadership that very explicitly and effectively picks up on and then sends signals/messages throughout the organization in ways that keep people informed, warned, appreciated, and valued. Raised trunks, lowered trunks, wrapped trunks, or greeting trunks, are all used for specific reasons. All of which protect and sustain the herd. Imagine if human leadership could signal (communicate) so effectively and with similar outcomes.
Photo by GiannottiArt
Humans have been around for 377,000 years. While our way of leading has accomplished great achievements and has created immeasurable things, how humans have led during those years has moved us closer to what many believe is a clear and present environmental, social, and political danger – if not, doomsday.
African Elephant leadership, greatly informed and made effective by their one-of-a-kind trunk, has enabled their existence for 1.5 million years. Perhaps if we humans learned to lead like them, we might have a chance at being around beyond our current 377,000 years.
Photo by Scott Jackson
