At first thought, you might not expect to learn much about leadership and change from zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests.  They appear to be prey animals whose lives exist on the end of a slippery banana peel.  Nature always has something to teach us however if we look for the lessons.

In fact, the creator has given zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests an uncanny wisdom to understand when it is time “to move on.”

Zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests know how to scan their environment and recognize the subtle and visible dynamics that are fundamentally changing their world. They understand when their areas of pasture will no longer sustain the entire herd.

So, these herd animals make a strategic decision to change.

While there is no guarantee of their success, they still undertake a difficult migration journey that brings many risks of failure.

Despite the risks, their survival instinct is strong.

Ultimately, they know that if they stay where they are, they will die!

If zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests understand when it is time to change their strategy, why don’t leaders?

Why is it difficult for many leaders to change their strategy even though the evidence of a need for a different approach is all around them?

What is Escalation of Committment

The problem often comes down to escalation of commitment, a term first described by UC Berkeley Professor Barry Staw. Escalation of commitment describes leaders who stay with a decision even when it appears to be wrong.  The saying throwing good money after bad is an example of escalation of commitment. Escalation of commitment is a harmful organizational dynamic that is especially dangerous in this new millennium of constant change.

Research finds that leaders escalate their commitment to a flawed course of action when they are too invested in a particular outcome or strategy.  This over-investment is often due to emotional reasons such as the following:

• The leader fears a loss of credibility because he was the driving force behind the decision.
• The leader is unable to admit that she made a mistake.
• The leader is determined to prove he can make his decision work.
• The leader feels she has already committed too many resources to change now.
• The leader is unable to accept the feedback of others.

To deal with these real and understandable human emotions, leaders must exercise real emotional intelligence. It is not easy to back away from a course of action to which one has been so committed to in the past.  Sticking too long with a wrong decision will not make it right however! It is better to make the needed changes–as painful as they may be–than to continue to waste resources on a flawed plan that will never bring the results that are needed. Sometimes it makes sense to cut your losses, adapt to the new realities before you, and move on to a better situation!

Zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests understand when they have exhausted the options available to them in their environment. They know when to move on!  Leaders can learn much from zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests!

For more thoughts on leadership and management from nature see Nature’s Way for Innovative Problem Solving and Three Change Management Lessons From the Dodo Bird.