One of my favorite business books is Surviving Your Serengeti: 7 Skills to Master Business & Life. The book serves as a source for both inspiration and survival.
According to the author, Stefan Swanepoel, “the story reveals the primordial skills for overcoming adversity, conquering one’s fears and ultimately triumphing over all challenging conditions.”
In the book, characters, who are identified as travelers, discover a road-map for mastering the difficulties and struggles experienced in life by observing how the animals, who live in the Serengeti survive. The story revolves around the following seven animals.
- The Enduring Wildebeest
- The Strategic Lion
- The Enterprising Crocodile
- The Graceful Giraffe
- The Efficient Cheetah
- The Risk-Taking Mongoose
- The Communicating Elephant
Each animal has its own unique characteristics which help them survive and thrive. For example, crocodiles are opportunistic, mongoose are risk-takers, and giraffes embody grace. Through the animals struggle to survive, we also identify our survival strategy.
While I enjoyed reading the book, it came to life after I took the “What animal am I” assessment to identify which animal represented me. The assessment is designed to help you identify who are through the seven animals in the story.
So what animal am I? The Strategic Lion, of course! Yes, my strengths align with the strategic lion. So why is that important? Because as a leader I need to know my strengths as well as my weaknesses. Now, I know what you’re wondering, which animal represents my weakness? The Graceful Giraffe!
After reading the book, I was so excited that I conducted training with my staff. It was very interesting watching the staff discover their animal and survival strategy. As individuals shared their animal’s strengths, they also realized how they complimented each other.
[callout]So, how do you know your strengths?[/callout]
Well, first you must understand the term strengths. The website My World of Work offers the following definition, “strengths are things you’re naturally good at. If you’re good at something, you’ll find it easier. That means you’ll feel more confident and engaged, and you’ll perform better.”
[shareable cite=”Dr. Kim Moore”]As you know, everyone takes their cue from the leader.”[/shareable]
Therefore, it is important for you to know your strengths and weaknesses. According to research by Gallup, the effective leaders are always investing in their strengths.
Do you know your strengths?
Your friend,
Kim
Dr. Kim Moore | Your Leadership Guide | kimdmoore.com
0 comments