Sharks Are In the Boston Bay
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, sharks are returning to the Boston Harbor! Ryan Knotek of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the Aquarium said in this article, “It’s not just a really cool success story for the sand tiger sharks, but it’s also a Boston success story.”
He added, “Now the harbor is cleaned up, and animals are traveling thousands of miles to come grow here in the critical stages of their life. It’s pretty cool when you catch and tag a shark with the Boston skyline in the background. I never thought I’d be able to do that.”
A Poor Leadership Metaphor
The resurgence of sharks in Boston Harbor serves as an insightful metaphor for poor leadership practices. While the story highlights an environmental success, its underlying lessons reflect the consequences of mismanagement and the potential for recovery after poor decisions.
In the past, Boston Harbor was so polluted that it was unimaginable for marine life, let alone sharks, to thrive there. This parallels how toxic environments in organizations drive away talent and stifle growth. Leaders who neglect their “environment”—whether it’s the culture, work conditions, or team morale—create places where innovation and productivity cannot flourish. Like the overfishing that decimated shark populations along the East Coast, bad leadership decisions over time drain an organization’s talent pool.
Poor leadership often stems from short-term thinking and selfish motives, similar to how overfishing was driven by immediate profits, without consideration for long-term consequences. A focus on quick wins, without investing in the future, can deplete resources and lead to organizational collapse. Just as it took decades for the sand tiger shark population to show signs of recovery, rebuilding a toxic culture and restoring trust after bad leadership decisions requires time, commitment, and strategic changes.
However, the story of sharks returning to Boston Harbor also reveals a critical leadership lesson in redemption. Just as federal and state protections were put in place to support shark conservation, poor leadership can be corrected by implementing strong, positive policies that foster trust and collaboration. These actions must be deliberate and consistent, creating a nurturing environment where teams can grow and perform at their best.
Ultimately, the sharks’ return illustrates the power of creating safe, sustainable environments for success. Leaders in any field must recognize the long-term impact of their decisions, adjust course when needed, and commit to building environments where teams can thrive, just as Boston Harbor became a nursery ground for sharks once again.
13 Things You Need To Fix As A Leader
Just as Boston Harbor had to be cleaned up for sharks to thrive, these thirteen items should serve as a checklist for areas in your organization that may need attention. Like the sand tiger shark population, addressing these issues will help your organization grow and flourish.
- Culture
- Work Conditions
- Morale
- Lack of Innovation
- Low Productivity
- Lack of Talent
- Short-Term Thinking
- Selfish Motives
- Depleted Resources
- Broken Trust
- Poor Collaboration
- Feeling Unsafe
- Unstable Workplace
FREE Helpful Resources
In conjunction with one of my content partners, I created two new checklists to help you identify ways you can improve your leadership:
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