Circle Of Life
We had a “National Geographic” moment in our backyard recently. Some of my kids (they’re all adults) had come over to swim and cook out. Someone noticed a tiny green inchworm dangling from his filament of silk in a tree next to the pool. He was energetically “inching” his way back up the line, and he had a long way to go. We found ourselves watching and rooting for him when, right before our eyes, a wasp swooped in and grabbed him off his silk thread. The wasp landed on a plant right next to us and proceeded to eat the inchworm. We were shocked and a little devastated.
In the conversation that followed, we all agreed this was a circle-of-life thing. However, I couldn’t help seeing some interesting leadership analogies in the situation. How you view this event depends on whether you are the inchworm or the wasp.
The inchworm was focused entirely on his immediate challenge—climbing back up that silk thread. He was working hard, making progress, completely absorbed in the task at hand. What he failed to do was assess his environment for threats. Dangling in the open, visible from every angle, he had made himself a perfect target.
As leaders, we often find ourselves in the inchworm’s position. We get so focused on our immediate objectives—hitting quarterly numbers, launching the new product, solving the crisis in front of us—that we lose sight of the larger threats circling our organization. We become sitting ducks—or in this case, dangling inchworms.
Risk avoidance means asking uncomfortable questions before we find ourselves exposed. What assumptions are we making about our market position? What would happen if our biggest client left? What if our key supplier went out of business? What if our most talented team member decided to retire? The inchworm should have asked, “Is there a safer route?”
Risk reduction, on the other hand, is what we do when we’re already exposed. It’s having backup plans, diversified revenue streams, cross-trained employees, and emergency funds. If the inchworm had to dangle, he might have chosen a spot closer to cover or at a time when predators were less active.
Now, let’s look at this from the wasp’s perspective. The wasp wasn’t just randomly flying around hoping to stumble upon lunch. Wasps are constantly scanning their environment, looking for opportunities. When our wasp spotted that exposed inchworm, he immediately recognized the situation for what it was—a perfect chance to secure a meal with minimal effort.
Great leaders operate like that wasp. They maintain active awareness of their surroundings, constantly scanning the horizon for unusual circumstances that might present opportunities. They are prepared to act quickly when the right moment presents itself.
The wasp succeeded because he had developed the skills and reflexes necessary to capitalize on an opportunity. He could fly quickly, maneuver precisely, and strike decisively. In business terms, he had built the capabilities needed to execute when the moment was right.
This is where many organizations fail. They spot opportunities but lack the preparation to seize them. They see the dangling inchworm but can’t get there fast enough, or they arrive but don’t have the tools to capitalize on what they’ve found.
The most successful leaders and organizations do both—they protect themselves from threats while positioning themselves to capitalize on opportunities. They are simultaneously the cautious inchworm (avoiding unnecessary exposure) and the alert wasp (ready to strike when conditions are right).
This requires what military strategists call “situational awareness”—understanding not just what’s happening now, but what might happen next. It means looking beyond the immediate task to see the broader environment. It means asking both “What could go wrong?” and “What could go right?”
The inchworm was so focused on his climb that he missed the bigger picture. The wasp maintained awareness of the entire scene and was ready when opportunity presented itself. Great leaders learn to do both—stay focused on execution while keeping their eyes open for both threats and opportunities.
In our backyard drama, nature simply ran its course. In business, we have the advantage of being able to learn from both perspectives. We can avoid the inchworm’s fate while adopting the wasp’s preparedness. That is the circle of leadership, and it is the Bison Way.