At my kitchen window
I was standing in my kitchen too early one morning a few weeks ago, numbly waiting for the coffee to brew when something magical happened. I watched a hummingbird take a breath. Not her first and clearly not her last, but a pivotal hummingbird moment none the less. After racing from blossom to blossom, to the feeder and back again at roughly the speed of light she perched on a branch and just stopped. For a beautiful, peaceful five minute stretch that seemed much longer, I watched this spectacular creature just be still.
It occurred to me, as it usually does at times like these, that there is something to be learned from the way things work in nature. I discovered that hummingbirds have a couple of things in common with leaders.
Speed An average hummingbird can move at an incredible speed, flapping its wings between 80 and 200 beats per second and taking 300 to 500 breaths per minute. Amoung the most common challenges faced by the leaders that I work with today is the speed that they need to move to keep up with the pace of the work. It’s nothing short of break-neck.
Cross Pollination Playing a critical role in plant propagation, a hummingbird can pollinate 2000 blossoms each day and cover miles of ground in the process. Managers, Directors, VP’s and other Senior Leaders deal instead in the propagation of ideas, concepts, products and positive business relationships with a reach that spans the globe.
So, how does this tiny bird weighing no more than 10 grams keep on going? Simple. It stops sometimes. It enters a state called ‘torpor’, a period of deep rest in which it conserves about 60 per cent of its energy. It takes a break to just be still.
How many of us, especially leaders, are always on, always connected, always moving? How often do we take 5 minutes, or 5 hours, or 5 days to just stop, to regroup, to recharge? I would hazard a guess that despite our best intentions, most of us do this rarely.
Perhaps, we can all learn a lesson from the hummingbird. Every once in a while we need to stop, be still, and take a breath.
Does this post resonate with you in some way? I would love to hear your thoughts. Just post a comment below by clicking Leave Comment. It all starts with a conversation…
June 30, 2009 at 10:29 am |
I don’t recognize the bird in the picture as a Hummingbird because it’s not zipping around! There’s something to that. It’s too early in the morning to figure it out. If it hits me later today, I’ll follow up.
June 30, 2009 at 10:37 am |
So true! If I hadn’t been standing there watching, I might never have recognized this as a female hummingbird myself! How often do we get so lost in the drama that we don’t even recognize ourselves…
June 30, 2009 at 1:49 pm |
I had the honor of watching a humingbird nest – from eggs to nestlings to fledglings – outside my office window a few years ago. It was captivating to see the dedication of the mom as she fed, cared for, taught the fledglings to fly, and finally let them go. A leadership tale in itself!
Thanks for your story; you provided a great analogy.
June 30, 2009 at 3:17 pm |
Wow Mary Jo, sounds spectacular! Thanks for sharing.
July 7, 2009 at 1:25 pm |
I used to forget taking breaks until I had a near death experience. Funny how it sometimes takes us something that drastic to change. I now work hard on a better work/life balance and definitely stop to smell the roses a lot more.
July 7, 2009 at 8:45 pm |
Hi Susan – Glad to hear that all turned out well for you. I’ve heard it said that the body always whispers before it screams. The trick is to train ourselves to listen to the whispers!
July 7, 2009 at 4:06 pm |
I’m a bird fan, and a (very) amateur bird watcher. It’s so rare to see a hummingbird in action, never mind at rest! I recently took a break from work even though I was really busy. That break turned out to be a great re-energizer. I came home with lots of new ideas. Never mind leaders, most of us don’t take time for quiet reflection even when the mind and body really need it!
July 11, 2009 at 9:57 pm |
What a great picture and even better story. I learned a few new things about one of my favorite birds. Isn’t it wonderful that their magical presence alone helps us to stop and be still.