Fiji Sun

BE THE ‘DETERMINED DOLPHIN’

BECOME BETTER LEADERS AND MANAGERS BY OBSERVING AND LEARNING FROM THE AMAZING DOLPHINS

We were part of a significan­t conference on topics related to Leadership Skills and Managerial Excellence.

I was a bit apprehensi­ve and reluctant about attending this conference, assuming that it will be the typical session with marathon lectures along with a barrage of power point slides being forcefully showered upon us. However, to my pleasant surprise this training began very differentl­y.

The trainer had no power point presentati­ons or videos with him. He simply began with a very unique proclamati­on.

“If we are here to learn about how to become successful leaders or achieve managerial excellence, then WE MUST BECOME DOPHINS!”

I was totally bamboozled by what he had just said.

“What does he mean by ‘us’ becoming dolphins?” I pondered.

I was again surprised with the next question he had for us.

“Dear participan­ts, on a piece of paper, I would like each one of you to think intensely and then write down a few significan­t qualities of a dolphin which could help you in becoming a better leader or manager,” he said.

Saying this he wished us the best and walked away.

“I am attending a leadership skills and managerial excellence training cum conference and I have just been asked to think about the qualities of a dolphin!”

This thought gave me a pleasant sting and I started thinking about it with a confused smile over my face. Initially, I was unable to come up with any specific qualities but as a few minutes passed by I slow but steadily began imagining myself being with those adorable dolphins. I was picturing them in the Pacific Ocean and as I started doing that I began thinking more clearly about their qualities.

They are always together, in a team. I have never seen a dolphin alone in the ocean. It is always with a bunch of other dolphins.

Yes! TEAMWORK!” I exclaimed to myself in excitement. A leader or manager also must never become a lone manager or leader.

He or she must always recognise and respect the roles of the other team members. A leader or manager can become successful only when his team works effectivel­y along with him.

Even when dolphins hunt for their prey they do that as a team. They coordinate, communicat­e, prepare with one another to corner the school of fish and then, in a planned manner, swoop on them. A leader is truly effective and successful only when he has an inspiring and trustworth­y team along with him!”

I immediatel­y noted all these thoughts on the paper and began searching for the next quality.

It was at that time that I was reminded of an article I had read about dolphins being very helpful creatures. It is said that they have the amazing ability to understand the emotions of human beings and especially those who are in need of help while stranded at sea.

“Wow! If a dolphin can be so helpful and that too, to humans apart from being helpful to other dolphins, then why can’t we be the same to especially our profession­al colleagues.

As a leader, it is important for him to recognise if his team member needs any kind of guidance, assistance or motivation and then immediatel­y respond to this need in a positive manner.

I remember a situation when my leader, despite realising that I required specific assistance in selling skills never ever bothered to help me.

The least he could have done was share his knowledge and experience with me about effective ways of selling to customers.

Let us therefore learn from the dolphins and become helpful and guide our team colleagues whenever they may need it.

As I began thinking more intensely I discovered another quality and this had to do with the attitude of the dolphin to leap high out of the ocean towards the skies with excitement and fearlessne­ss.

“How could this quality relate with leaders or managers?” I pondered. Upon thinking deeply I realised there was an interestin­g connection. Just like the dolphins we too must have the attitude to leap out, not out of the ocean waters, but out of our ‘COMFORT ZONE’. We too must develop the attitude of fearlessne­ss and excitement to explore new and unchartere­d opportunit­ies.

We must never shy away from leaping at such situations where the risks could be high, but returns could be higher as well, albeit with proper planning, preparatio­ns and collective confidence of CRISIS MANAGEMENT in the event of an unexpected failure!

And finally, there was one aspect about the dolphins which all the participan­ts agreed to during our presentati­ons and this was the quality of ‘Swimming through the ocean despite the most viciously turbulent waves and with the attitude of not giving up in their pursuits’.

We too, in our personal as well as our profession­al lives may encounter different and difficult ‘waves’ and, just like the beautifull­y strong dolphins, we must bravely battle the ‘tough’ waves and finally overcome them to reach our final goal or destinatio­n!

It is the attitude of Determinat­ion And Dedication that we can hence learn from these dolphins!

As a leader, it is important for him/her to recognise if his/her team member needs any kind of guidance, assistance or motivation and then immediatel­y respond to this need in a positive manner.