Lead Others to Lead Themselves — Squirrel, Beaver and Goose
On this page 5 headings
Start here What can a squirrel, a beaver and a goose teach a manager? Quite a lot, says the book Gung Ho!
“Leadership is not about you; it’s about investing in the growth of others.” — Ken Blanchard
True leaders create more leaders, not followers.
Gung Ho! is a book by Ken Blanchard (with Sheldon Bowles). It takes three leadership lessons from nature.
| Animal | Lesson |
|---|---|
| Spirit of the squirrel | Make work worthwhile and important |
| Way of the beaver | Put individuals in charge of their goals |
| Gift of the goose | Cheer each other on |
1. The spirit of the squirrel: make work worthwhile and important
In autumn, squirrels gather nuts and store them for winter. They don’t see it as hard work. The work is worthwhile — without it, they would starve. All the squirrels work towards a shared common goal.
From the slide — how to do this at work:
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Help team members understand the vision and the big picture | Show how their work impacts the world and makes it better. Highlight social value beyond business value. This builds intrinsic motivation (motivation from inside) and self-esteem. |
| Define 2–3 critical goals | Let team members define the remaining shared goals. Empower them to take ownership and lead themselves. Don’t manage them. |
| Define non-negotiable values clearly | Values guide all plans, decisions and actions. Goals can be unmet, but values cannot be unmet. |
Lecture example — Siddharth’s social consulting team
- Vision: at the start, he tells each member their exact role and how their work helps NGOs and society — not just business.
- Critical goal: deliver the client’s project within the semester. This cannot be compromised.
- Shared goals: the team members work out the scope with the client and take ownership. He doesn’t micromanage.
- Non-negotiable value: “matching the unmet needs of society with affordable solutions”. They take on a valuable project even if the client can’t pay.
In one line: Show people why their work matters, set a few key goals, and never compromise on values. Exam words: spirit of the squirrel, worthwhile work, vision, big picture, critical goals, intrinsic motivation, non-negotiable values.
2. The way of the beaver: put individuals in charge of their goals
Beavers build dams — not from one big log, but one stick at a time. They chop trees with sharp teeth and use twigs, mud, grass and rocks of the right size. They respect and trust each other, communicate and work together. Each beaver knows what to do, sees the big picture, and does its part.
Beavers show the power of action, hard work, technical skill and strong work ethics.
From the slide — how to do this at work:
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Create a playing field with clearly marked territory | Define roles, responsibilities and rules. Then empower people. |
| Value team members | Listen. Understand. Act. Respect their thoughts, feelings, needs, goals, dreams. Act on them, and connect their goals to the project. |
| Use their natural skills | Use each person’s natural skills — and challenge them to stretch beyond their abilities. |
Lecture example — making this very course The overall structure and content of each module were fixed. Then each team member (faculty and students) chose what to speak on and how to present it, in their own style. Everyone took ownership, came prepared, played to their strengths, and stretched where it was hard. This is shared leadership, shared goals, shared vision and collaboration.
In one line: Set clear roles and rules, value people, use their strengths, then let them run. Exam words: way of the beaver, clearly marked territory, roles and rules, value team members, natural skills, stretch.
3. The gift of the goose: cheer each other on
Geese fly in a V-shape. The lead goose faces the most wind and gets tired. Its flapping lifts the geese behind, so they fly more easily. They fly up to 5,000 miles, at 40–70 miles per hour.
Along the way, they honk to encourage the leader to keep going. When the lead goose is tired, it moves back, and another goose takes the lead.
From the slide — how to do this at work:
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Genuinely appreciate each person’s value and contribution to shared goals | Make it TRUE: Timely, Responsive, Unconditional, Enthusiastic |
| Congratulate progress along the way, at milestones | Congratulations should be: Spontaneous (not programmed), Individual (not blanket), Specific (not general), Unique (not traditional) |
Lecture example — Anirudha (swimming) Cheering is not just a crowd in a stadium. It builds confidence and morale in the team. Appreciate people throughout the journey, not only at the end. Small wins lead to bigger ones. Cheering keeps the enthusiasm for the mission going. He linked it to E = mc²: Enthusiasm comes from the Mission, multiplied by cash and congratulations — the right reward for the right work.
Everyday example Your friend clears a tough coding round. Instead of a group “congrats all”, you message him: “Your graph solution in round 2 was brilliant!” That is specific, individual and timely — the gift of the goose.
In one line: Cheer people on throughout the journey — genuinely, personally and specifically. Exam words: gift of the goose, cheer each other on, TRUE (timely, responsive, unconditional, enthusiastic), spontaneous, individual, specific, unique, E = mc².
The lampshade: understand every person’s role
Lt Col Jayakumar compares a career to a lampshade in a factory.
- A worker at the lathe machine sees only the small circle of light around his own work.
- As he grows into a supervisor, the lamp goes higher. Now he sees 10 people working below him.
Good companies make new managers spend time on the shop floor during their orientation. A leader at any level should understand every person’s job — not to interfere, but to be able to do it and value it.
Prof. Kartic’s closing: Leadership starts and ends with self-transformation, which then influences the world around you.
In one line: Know every role in your team — not to interfere, but to understand and value it.