Leadership Lessons from Nature

At each of these eight workshops, we'll take a look at a specific example of a behaviour or a principle in nature, identify the benefits, and then explore how we can apply these behaviours or principles within our own lives or workplaces in order to become better leaders. The topics for each workshop are:

Lead Like a Wolf - Wednesday 19th Fabruary 10-11am
In the wild, wolves share leadership (the alpha wolf concept only applies in captivity). What does this shared leadership look like, what can we learn from it, and how can we apply it in our own leadership?

Share Like a Tree - Tuesday 18th March 10-11am
Trees communicate and collaborate with each other via the “Wood-Wide Web”. How does this vast, interconnected network work and what can we learn as leaders about sharing resources and information with each other?

Understand Your Ecosystem - Thursday 1st May 10-11am
Nature is a complex collection of interconnected, interdependent systems, where every factor depends on every other factor, either directly or indirectly. As leaders, how can we understand our own ecosystem and use this understanding to generate positive change in our workplaces and the world around us?

Hang Like Kelp - Wednesday 28th May 10-11am
The structure of kelp enables it to provide one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth by combining firmness with flexibility and visibility. What does this tell us and how can we get the right balance in our own lives and leadership?

Work At The Edges - Friday 20th June 2-3pm
The space where different natural habitats meet is known as an “ecotone” and is home to a greater diversity and density of species, known as the “edge effect”. As leaders, how can we harness the Edge Effect to encourage and engage more diverse perspectives and approaches?

Be Symbiotic Like Lichen - Tuesday 23rd September 10-11am
Lichen is made up of two distinct separate organisms, both of which both are necessary for its survival. As a result of this symbiosis, it is a pioneer organism which can colonise and thrive in the most extreme environments. How can we develop symbiotic relationships that enable us to thrive as leaders in a challenging world?

Listen like a Tree Frog - Friday 24th October 10-11am
Female tree frogs use their lungs as a noise cancellation filter to enhance the audibility of calls from their own species and suppress the sounds from other species in the cacophony of mating season calls. What can they teach us as leaders about avoiding information overload by filtering "noise"?

Adapt like a Ptarmigan - Tuesday 18th November 10-11am
Ptarmigans change colour in order to stay camouflaged as weather conditions change. As leaders, what can we learn from them about adapting to changing conditions and how can we ensure that we are agile enough to adapt whilst staying true to ourselves?