The mighty lion is often held up as a standard for leaders to follow. He is the master of his domain, and his roar cements his power. Leaders need to be strong. The male lion sits and guards his territory while the lionesses go off and do the work of hunting for everyone. Although, I’m not sure if that last practice is intended as a part of the leadership model or not.
Next up are birds of prey. With their expert vision, they can see far off into the distance. Leaders need to look into the future and plan for what’s far off in the distance. They also need sharp talons to hunt and fight.
I, on the other hand, attempt to emulate the humble porcupine. He’s a cute little guy. You can easily envision him in cartoon form playing cards with his forest friends. But it is a dangerous jungle out there. Leaders flock to birds of prey and apex predators for a reason. When the hyenas come around, you don’t want to be at their mercy.
It is unlikely that a porcupine will eat a hyena. A determined hyena has a pretty good shot at eating a porcupine, but that hyena is going to pay a painful price. When a hyena knows that trying to eat you will result in a snout full of quills, the rabbit next to you is a much more appealing choice.
Aspire to be a friendly forest creature but be willing to use your quills if needed. Then help your furry compatriots grow their own defenses. You don’t have to be an apex predator, but leadership life is more manageable if you aren’t an easy lunch.