Safety Moment | Buffalo vs Geese leadership
Description
Buffalo hunters had a trick to capture the
herd. They found the leader and killed him.
Once he was dead, the rest stood around
waiting for instructions which never came,
and hunters could capture them easily.
Geese fly in V formation, and take turns in
the leadership position. Each Goose is
expected to take responsibility at some
point in the flight.
While a leader is away, how does the team
react? Do they stand around waiting for
instructions or do they distribute the
responsibility amongst themselves? More
importantly, how does the leader react?
Do you have Buffalo or Geese leadership?
Insights and learning
1. Organisations with Buffalo Leadership
will not survive in today's global market
2. Empower your team with a collective
vision to look beyond quick fixes and
prevent future problems
3. If people know what is expected of
then, they should also have the
freedom to do their job well
4. Take time to listen to concerns and
genuinely take action
References
1. The original version of Lessons from Geese were
written by Dr Robert McNeish in 1972 – article
2. Buffalo vs Geese leadership