DUCK DUCK GOOSE

I was driving into work the other day and saw these little feathered friends fly by in their V-shaped form. For those who know me I always like to understand the why behind things in every facet of life. I discovered that we can all learn valuable lessons in life, leadership, and the value of teamwork from these simple little creatures by how they help each other out.

Two is always better than one and more can always be accomplished together as a team. For example, in the flying V the front duck assumes the leader role and also takes on the brunt of the wind for the rest of the flock. Over time the young goslings learn their migration routes from the group and eventually take on the leadership role. Flying in this V form allows for an uplift to be created, making the journey easier on the group as a whole. They ‘pluck’ themselves out of their own comfort zone and step up to do hard tasks when needed, to lessen the burden on their team. When one gets off track, they quickly recognize the need to get back into proper formation. Why? Because it was easier. Such a simple concept.

Going ‘it’ alone is not impossible, but you don’t get as a far without support. Ducks and geese quack and honk during flight giving the leader position the encouragement needed, and when the leader tires, it falls back to the end of line and the next one steps in. A good leader knows when its time to allow another to help guide and lead. You build a solid team and a circle of trust…or V-shape in this scenario!

We have a set of philosophies within our company that our team collectively created, and one of them is “Get Your Ducks Lined Up.” Every family has their set of rules and we decided as a group we should have them here too. We just know what to do, what our mission is and how we need to achieve them. Everyone here has a voice, no matter if you have been here for 5 years or 5 days. We encourage each other to step outside of our comfort zones and take on challenges each and every day. Its so fun to see people I have mentored turn into leaders and watch the team provide the highest level of client service in our industry.

We definitely need one another…for laughter, strength, encouragement, support and so on. It takes all of us to pull together as a team, for work, and life. Think about how this applies to you and the team you may be a part of. Recognize it and build on it every day. After all, we accomplish more by engaging others and working as a team.

Have a great and productive day!