Buffalo Wings

Now ask most Kiwis if they have seen a buffalo in the flesh and most, I'm guessing, will say no. Yet we experience the buffalo mentality in organisations with which we participate, all the time.

Buffalo unfailingly rely on the actions of those around them. The beasts' eyes are positioned on the sides of their heads which gives them ability to see exactly what other buffalo are doing.

Some First Nation tribes of America (American Indians to you and me) realised that by taking advantage of buffalo’s heard mentality they could take out a massive amount them. The First Nation people observed that once the leaders of the herd set a direction the rest of herd will follow running with their heads down nullifying the ability to cast their vision into the future and scan for challenges and opportunities on the horizon. Unsurprisingly, it proved rather effective to stampede a herd off a cliff and into a gully.

How could this possibly work? Well by the time the leaders of the herd realised they had reached the precipice of a gully they were unable to stop going over the edge as the momentum of the herd following them pushes them forward plunging them to their deaths. The rest of the animals actually cast themselves over the edge willing as they judge the validity of their bearing by those they are travelling next to.

Many organisations, whether non-for-profits, multinational, family run, franchise or partnership, have driven themselves over the edge propelled by their own herd mentality momentum. Not enough people questioned the organisation’s direction and the leaders never really had control of the rest of the herd.

The burden to great leadership and high performing teams in the work place and in life is on both those forging the way and those following. Not surprising the buffalo population is no where near the extent that it once was; they were such easy targets to manipulate.