Runaway Zebras
I suspect anyone reading this article is just like I am – they dislike driving delays. Heavy traffic, road work, and hazards are simply massive inconveniences. After all, we got places to go and people to see. But on Sunday, April 28th, the people driving on I-90 near the North Bend exit in Washington encountered something I doubt any of us have faced.
An unidentified lady was transporting zebras from Washington to an animal sanctuary in Montana. She pulled over on the side of the road to check on the trailer. The captive zebras saw this as their opportunity to make a run for it! The animals burst from the trailer and starting roaming the highway stopping traffic.
Per this article, Washington State police were called in to remove the road hazards. Public Information office Rick Johnson wrote on X, “This is a first for me and all [State Patrol] troopers involved. Crazy!”
Believe it or not, things got even crazier. The rescue effort needed the help of a rodeo clown to be a success. Local resident Whitney Blomquist told KOMO, “They had a rodeo clown who was on his way, I guess to a rodeo, and they were using him to help corral. We got zebras on the loose, we’ve got a rodeo clown. I’m like, ‘Cool, we’ve officially turned into a zoo here.'”
Side note – I recently wrote about leadership lessons learned from an elephant running through the streets of Montana. Now, I’m writing about zebras running through Washington. These are interesting times.
Back to the zebras.
Two Very Important Leadership Abilities
For leaders, things often turn into a proverbial zoo. This is why leaders are needed. They provide solutions and bring order to chaos. Therefore, leaders will continually miss expectations if they lack two very important abilities – adaptability and flexibility.
The world is simply changing too fast. The ability for leaders to think on their feet, fail fast, and continually pivot are now fundamental requirements for success.
Boston Celtics
One such group of leaders are the Boston Celtics. In 2023, they were defeated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Miami Heat. This year, the Celtics get a measure of revenge and defeated their nemesis in the first round of the play-offs.
Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum said in this article, “That’s how it should be — we should be learning from our mistakes and things we could’ve done better and applying it to the next season, because we’re trying to have a different outcome this year.”
Decision-Making
One leader who would agree with Tatum is research psychologist Gary Klein and author of the book Seeing What Others Don’t: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights.
The wonderful website The Daily Coach recently referenced Klein’s appearance on the Knowledge Project podcast. During his time with host Shane Parrish, Klein said, “Insights are disorienting and they make you change the way you think; organizations think they want insights and innovation and say that they want innovation, but in reality, they don’t, because insights force them to change.”
5 Abilities Adaptable and Flexible Leaders Have that Rigid Leaders Don’t
Adaptability and flexibility are not easy abilities to develop. They cannot be assumed because adaptability and flexibility require you to constantly change. But if you are willing to do so, what we learn from Jayson Tatum and Gary Klein’s comments are five additional abilities adaptable and flexible leaders have that rigid leaders do not:
- Adaptable and flexible leaders learn from their mistakes.
- Adaptable and flexible leaders get better at that craft.
- Adaptable and flexible leaders become more insightful.
- Adaptable and flexible leaders innovate.
- Adaptable and flexible leaders have more positive outcomes.
So leaders, you have a choice to make – you can have more positive outcomes OR you can have a zoo. The difference between the two is adaptability and flexibility. You decide.
My latest eBook is available for download. The Top 65 Leadership Quotes Of 2022 Part 1 is a resource every leader should have. Great quotes bring clarity and put into words who we intuitively feel as leaders. They give us wisdom and insights which advance the mission and vision of our organizations. This eBook includes thoughts and insights from leaders like Warren Buffett, Nick Saban, James Clear, Dawn Staley, Jurgen Klopp, Jerry Seinfeld, and even Ted Lasso. This resource will take you about 10 minutes to read but a lifetime to apply. You will want to stop and ponder the implications of each quote. Click HERE or on the image provided for immediate download!