As Labor Day has passed and the white pants got put away for another season, football season has started and local apples are appearing in the markets. As the nights cool and Halloween decorations and candy line the aisles of the supermarket, fourth quarter is upon us with its mixture of craziness and contemplation.
Today's article is stolen and plagiarized form the work popularized by a man named Milton Olson. In looking to give this proper attribution, the first reference I found it was written in 1972 by Dr Robert McNeish of Baltimore. All that to say, soon many of us will be hearing the honking of geese and look up to see "V" formations heading to warmer places. Of course, many of us will wish to be following their lead, we can all take away leadership lessons from them.
1. As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. The "V" formation allows the whole flock to fly 71% farther as a group than if each goose flew alone.
Takeaway: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust and momentum of one another. Shameless plug: Join and get involved in your regional professional association and take off and fly!
2. When a goose falls out of formation, it feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It moves quickly to get back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Takeaway: Stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. Be willing to accept help and to give help to others. We'll all fly stronger, further and reach our goals quicker.
3. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the formation and another goose takes the point position.
Takeaway: It pays to share leadership and take turns doing the heavy lifting. We're interdependent on each other's skills, strengths, capabilities, and unique gifts, talents and resources. Know when to step back and know to recognize the strengths in others.
4. In formation, the geese honk to encourage those up front to keep up the speed.
Takeaway: Be an encourager. Make sure your honking is positive. Groups with mutual encouragement and positivity have much higher productivity. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we need.
5. If a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese will drop out of formation and follow it to help and protect it. They will stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation and continue their journey.
Takeaway: Stand by each other in difficult times as well as winning times. Create strong team bonds.
Fly high and finish strong!
Paul Kiewiet MAS+ is an industry speaker, writer, consultant and coach. He serves as the executive director of MiPPA. Kiewiet was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame and the MiPPA Hall of Fame. He served as Chairman of PPAI in 2007. A former distributor, he founded Promotion Concepts, Inc in 1982 and worked with some of America’s most valuable brands including Coca-Cola, Kelloggs, and Whirlpool.