Andre W Andre W Diederichs Wildlife Lessons for Entrepreneurs

Andre W Andre W Diederichs

Wildlife Lessons for Entrepreneurs


Animals creating scarcity in era of plenty

• Globalisation creates a surplus economy: China

• Shrinking marketplace - Mala Mala – drought

• Less waterholes/food – table manners out

• Large prey move away – changing food chain

• Cheetah = specialist – small prey • Lions move in diversify : large to small prey

• One needs to adapt in a shrinking marketplace!



• NB: Create scarcity in an era of plenty!

• Leopard catching prey – climbing in tree

• Entrepreneur must also differentiate offering

• Hyena (coward) – change character – challenge leopard• Leopard comfort zones – not high enough in tree



• Lesson for entrepreneurs: • Do not become complacent with scarcity• Competition can come from outside your industry e.g retail stores in financial services

• And then came the rain…. back to normal

BUT Entrepreneurs must not forget lessons of hard times – but plan for such times!


Dolphin Thinking during Profound Change

• Lynch & Kordis comparison – dealing with uncertainty

• Challenge is to cope with exponential change

• Alvin Toffler – 50 000 years example

• Before agricultural revolution – shape glacially

Changes in world of work

Agri – 5000 yearsIndustrial – 300 yearsI&C - > 40 yearsNew trend – productivity-Biotech, Ar Int, Robotics



• Dolphin has a inquisitive nature, exploring new waters • Entrepreneur anticipates & embraces change- key to unlock potential new opportunities • Entrepreneurs Learn and Experiment constantly

You can’t use yesterday’s tools to do business todayand still expect to be in business tomorrow

Baldwin



Typical Carp:

• Unaware of change

• Ignorant that existing wave is declining or

• Ignore that new wave is beginning

• Refusal to acknowledge that things can change



Typical Shark:

• Aware of new waves but meet it with resistance

• Prefer to remain in familiar waters – cannot fail

• If changes are to be made – make sure no harm

will come to them

• Spread messages like “it’s just a fad, stick to the

basics”



Typical Dolphin:

• Always thinking ahead and expecting change

• Entrepreneurs avoid comfort zones

• No sooner out of existing the wave already

discovered new wave

• Entrepreneurs constantly seek new opportunities



Typical Dolphin:• Intuitively thinking of change – not waiting for it• Entrepreneurs want change and create change

• Sensitive to fundamental shifts• Entrepreneurs’ inquisitive nature smell change

• Begin disengagement & exploring new waves• Entrepreneurs avoid sentiments clouding new opportunities



Typical Dolphin:• Dolphin & Entrepreneurs, like a good surfer always

looking out for the next big wave

NB: • timing critical – too fast destroys existing value

• too slow misses the new wave

• challenge to ride both and change centre of gravity

at the right pace and sequence


Eagle Minded People

• Entrepreneur – like eagle – king in his own right

• Call this creature him, not it, a friend to learn from

• “Luck and destiny is the world excuses for failure”

• Eagle – keen vision no other can match

• Entrepreneurs also need clear vision - a mental picture of how they see their future


Eagle Minded People

• Eagles move faster than any other earthly creature• Entrepreneurs also fly high, fearless, breaking through self-created limits & boundaries

• Always seeking opportunities BUT the Eagle qualifys his prey – viable opportunities

• Good hunter knows every day is a hunting day but every day is not a shooting day• Entrepreneurs focus on sustainably viable opportunities – not short lived one’s


Eagle Minded People

• Eagles begin their day early – get the most out of it• Entrepreneurs not in bed while others make money

• Eagle generally has > than one nesting territory

• If the terrain limits him to 1 site, he will defend it• Entrepreneur can stick to one opportunity but also needs to diversify if market conditions change – good surfer – quick reactor – big waves


Wild Dogs give meaning to family values

• Super killers – most successful hunters – 80%

• Known for education/training of their young

• Descended from grey wolf - 120k survived

• smell prey (opportunity) 2kms away

• hear prey (opportunity) 16kms away

• Entrepreneurs developed senses to “Smell”

opportunities – by constantly thinking opportunities



• FOB – identify & preparing successor = vital

• Wild dog devotion to prepare young = NB lessons

• catch and bring their young life prey

• FOBs should expose future successors to real life

business experiences

• social skills – social structure in family

• FOBs teach children their respective roles from

a young age



• Wild dog natural nurturer – take care of weak/sick

• Characteristics:

• speed – adopt fast if need be

• stamina – endurance – do not give up!

• patience – pursue most viable opportunities

• teamwork – know your role and responsibilities

• Focus on overall objective – but taking care

• Balance between Family and Profit


Monkeys redefines the concept of value

• Globalisation reshapes the marketplace

• Changing concept of value – lifelong learning

• Need to stay relevant to survive • Monkey speeds to deliver good example

• Sailing Wen - Taiwan



• Monkey spots opportunity for food 2nd to none

• Excellent colour vision & discern: good/bad

• Entrepreneur requires good judgment/decisions

• Monkey uses brain, not senses to find food

• Entrepreneur needs to think before doing



• Monkey inquisitive nature- unafraid to experiment

• Baboons in Kenya diversified their food chain

• Prerequisite to explore new ideas is willingness to learn - continuously learning, like a child

“In times of profound change the learners will inherit the earth, while the learned will find themselves Beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no

longer exists. Al Rodgers



• Understand fragmented networks

• Associate with other animals – common goal • Monkey/mongoose – anti predator allies

• Monkey watch sky, mongoose ground:warning signal

• Entrepreneur : trusted networks & associations

• Creating 1 stop service – working together






CHANGING WORLD of WORK

World of Work

Nomadic Hunter

Farmer

IR- wage

Labour movement

I+C Revolution

Social Structure

Family/Tribes

Civilisation/Nation

Welfare States

Paternalism

Sovereign Individual


Changing Concept of Value

Value moved from land to energy to knowledge

Industries - not renew = bifurcation point = split + merger Changing concept of value

Iron Bucket Plastic Bucket Running Water



Spirit of an Entrepreneur

50% discount!

Opening Sale!

Main Entrance!


SPEED of CHANGE = EXPONENTIAL Alvin Toffler

Lifetimes0 400 806

650

70

4

2


ConclusionYou have to participate on a different level

like Moses did in the Olympics

Documents

Andre W Andre W Diederichs Wildlife Lessons for Entrepreneurs