Leadership, Teamwork and Friendship Can Be Learned from "Lessons from the Geese?"

As a leader for some thirty plus employees under my supervision, I was allowed the privilege to work for thirty three years with challenges, learning lessons and receiving life's rewards. Those thirty-three years were amazing. I learned many lessons under the leadership of my department head and the department director. I watched the two individuals as they worked together, at times not agreeing but standing together in unity to reach a common goal.

One lesson learned was forwarded to me in the form of an email. It taught me something I will take with me forever. The story was powerful. It demonstrated the accomplishments made through teamwork and dynamics of a small flock of birds. It has never failed to intrigue me. Click on the link below to read the amazing story of a flock of birds in:

'Lessons From The Geese'

The story entitled 'Lessons From the Geese' is something everyone should at some point in their life read. Be the individual a leader, follower, student, team member, church leader or whatever. Reading the story once provides insight. Reading it twice makes one wonder. Reading it a third times tends to offer a wisdom that some will acquire. It inspires and also intrigues. Some will grow wiser from the manner in which geese follow and work as a team. Some will discount the value of the lesson offered in the wisdom of a pack of geese. However, whatever the reader gains from the lesson taken from 'Lessons From The Geese' it's well worth one read if not more.

Some years after receiving this story, I witnessed an episode in my own front yard. One day my son ran into my bedroom excited that a bird was sitting on our windowsill. He said the bird had been sitting there for some time. At the time, he was only 9 years old and almost everything regarding animals excited him. To guarantee his safety, I went quickly to investigate. There was a large bird sitting on the windowsill. It appeared to be ill for it was crouched in a low position with its wings tucked underneath it sitting very still. I looked around to see if something might have scared it or was lurking in the yard. That's when I noticed two other birds, of the same species, in positions surrounding this bird also in the yard. They were watching, observing and obviously keeping anything and everything away from the bird on the windowsill.

For the sake of the birds safety, I called the Wildlife Preserve in the area. A young female came on the phone and I explained why I was calling. She asked a few questions and I provided the answers. She then explained the reason she felt the birds were there. Similar to a portion of the lesson, she explained that the two birds were possibly guarding the other. Her assumption was that the bird on the windowsill had been injured or was ill. She explained that birds will often do this when they are in formation. If one becomes ill or injured, it will remove itself from the flock to heal or take time to rest and recover. While doing so, two will accompany it to the ground for protection. They will wait patiently, protecting the sick bird until it either recovers or dies.

Whenever either occurs, the two or three will continue their flight. They will try to catch the original group or they will find a flock to join. The female warned me to keep my children and any others away from the bird because if the others felt the one on the windowsill was in danger, they would attack. I watched the remainder of the day and into the night. The two in the yard never left their positions. They pecked around and watched all movement. My little one was intrigued and he watched with me.

We went to bed with the birds still maintaining their positions. The next morning, all three were gone. I searched around the house, in the yard and along the street to see if there was any sign of a predator causing a problem for the birds. Since we have no pets roaming the area and I did not see any sign of struggle, I felt secure in the fact the ill or injured bird recovered and they resumed their flight.

I will never forget the way the two were there for the injured bird; never leaving their post. My son told the story in his classes the next day. He said his friends listened quietly, intently while he relayed the entire scenario to them.

JerseyNana encouraged me to write this story. She wrote a poem regarding Leadership. You can read it here (Leadership). After reading her poem, I was reminded of the 'Lesson From the Geese' story received over fifteen years ago. I placed some comments on her poem and she sent me a very touching message.

You know if our nation would follow the lessons of some of the animals, we would probably be more advanced than we are today and our endeavors would be astonishing. There is nothing we could not accomplish if we took a lesson from the Geese.