Abstract
“Go to the ant, … consider its ways and be wise!” (Proverbs 6:6) . We have progressed using biomimicry to inform our engineering designs and processes. Yet we have learnt very little in finding our inspiration from nature for leading in our complex world. In nature, those species that learn by observing, listening, making sense, internalising, thinking, and resting at the right time, survive and thrive in their environments — on plains, in mountains, in the bush, rivers, oceans, deserts, and the sky. Fight or flight takes place in both nature and business. Challenges are shared in co-existence, patience, perseverance, resilience, and adaptation. Leadership challenges that are emerging in the new world of human and machine co-existence will also be enriched by lessons from nature that inspire new behaviour, that are not conceived in business schools or legacy cultures, but that are flexible, effective, and work efficiently — as natural solutions have done for millennia. We discuss the makings of a conceptual thought model of leadership inspired by nature. It is a starting point to create an awareness of how nature-inspired leadership may be applied. Yet, when modelling anything on nature, one has to realise that all models are simplifications, which means that nature itself, as a complex system, is not fully understood. Our aim should not be to copy nature, but to extract principles from it.
Highlights
WHY LEARN FROM NATURE?The human being is a learning organism
When modelling anything on nature, one has to realise that all models are simplifications, which means that nature itself, as a complex system, is not fully understood
The question is: how should we learn from nature to change our leadership practices? In this paper we look at the different aspects of how we can learn from nature to practise leadership in an increasingly complex and unpredictable world
Summary
We have learnt very little in finding our inspiration from nature for leading in our complex world. In nature, those species that learn by observing, listening, making sense, internalising, thinking, and resting at the right time, survive and thrive in their environments — on plains, in mountains, in the bush, rivers, oceans, deserts, and the sky. Leadership challenges that are emerging in the new world of human and machine coexistence will be enriched by lessons from nature that inspire new behaviour, that are not conceived in business schools or legacy cultures, but that are flexible, effective, and work efficiently — as natural solutions have done for millennia. Leierskap uitdagings wat na vore kom in die nuwe wêreld van die saambestaan van mens en masjien word ook verryk deur lesse uit die natuur wat nuwe gedrag inspireer. Ons doelwit moet nooit wees om die natuur te kopieer nie, maar om beginsels daaruit te onttrek
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
