The Flock

Yesterday I watched a flock of birds. They didn't do anything that I hadn't seen birds do before...you know, they dance from wire to wire. They all land on a wire (or two) and then suddenly, as if someone yelled, "GO!", they all fly at once. It happened repeatedly and methodically. I've seen this over and over again...but it struck me differently as I watched yesterday.

Each time the birds would "up and go", there were always one or two birds left behind. They chose to stay seated comfortably on the wire. I willed them to follow, "They're leaving you, GO!" And, "What if they fly far away this time and you are lost from the flock?" (I know, weird, right?) Then I remembered this story that I heard years ago:

LESSONS FROM GEESE

We could learn a lot from a goose.

As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the bird following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can go further and get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back in formation to take advantage of the “lifting power” of the bird immediately in front.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership – with people, as with geese, interdependent with each other.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging – not something less than helpful.

When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect him. They stay with the goose until it is either able to fly again, or dies. Then they launch out on their own with another formation or catch up to the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in hard times as well as good.

- "Lessons from Geese" was transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arrien at the 1991 Organizational Development Network and was based on the work of Milton Olson.

And while these were not geese I watched, I was reminded that important lessons are in nature all around us. The birds and their flocks should remind us of the power of a group....and you know, as I thought about those one or two sitting on the wire, I had a new thought about not always following the flock: Maybe they don't want to "follow the crowd". Maybe they want to set out on a new path. Maybe they just need to stop and enjoy the wire a little longer.

May we all know when to go with the flock and when to set out on our own journeys!! After all, it seems to be a very delicate balancing act.