As a leader, there are certain qualities and characteristics of lions that you might find useful to consider - for yourself and your "pride." Let's explore these.
1. Protective
You don't have to watch very many Discovery Channel shows about lions to see how protective they are - of territory, themselves, their young, and so forth. As far as being more lion-like, what do you need to be protective of? Protective of yourself? Your money? Your children? Your partner? Your spouse? Your business? Your colleagues? Your position? Your beliefs?
So, exactly what do you need to be protective of?
2. Brave
Being lion-like means you are brave and courageous. Naturally, you choose when and where to be brave vs. timid, courageous vs. cowardly. We all make choices every day. Look for opportunities today and every day where you can be brave.
It does make a difference, both for you and for others.
3. Willing to fight
Hmm...we know that lions will fight when need be. They don't pick fights but because they are willing to protect their food, their mates, their territory and so forth, they will fight if necessary. What is the one thing you are willing to fight for?
Many parents would be willing to fight for their children. Or maybe you are a professor who is willing to fight when you see other faculty members being bullied. Maybe you are a teacher who is fighting for particular students who need your "protection."
What is it for you? Really. What are you willing to fight for? The one thing?
4. Hunters
LOTS of people are concerned right now about financial issues. Someone wrote to me recently that she had overheard middle school girls in the bathroom at a movie talking about how they needed to come up some ways to earn money because their parents had been cut way back at work. You might be one of the people who is "hunting" for money. You might be hunting for it for your own personal situation or you are hunting money for projects at work or for community needs and the like.
But what else do lion-like folks hunt for? You might describe it thus:
- Bravery to find what really makes me happy
- Bravery to ignore what others feel is successful and find my own success
- Bravery to dare to make dramatic changes in the path of my career that will also change my personal life...and vice versa
What are you hunting? And just like a lion on the savanna, you may or may not find it, but you hunt regardless.
5. Group members (part of a pride) +
6. Loners in the big scheme of things
The last two - being part of a group (that is, a pride) and also being somewhat loners in the big scheme of things - let's think about these together.
As a person who is seeking ways of staying positive, no matter how crazy things are around you, youneed to see yourself as being part of a pride - a team, a family, a group, an association,a community - or whatever you might call it. Leadershave to deliberately assemble theirgroup - small or large - that will assist them in their -if I mayuse this word - survival. Lions aren't part of prides for no reason. There's a reason. You need a "pride" of your own if you are to "survive" in your positive place.
And, here's the other part (at least as my youngbrain considers this); we are also loners in the bigger scheme of things. What I mean by that is, just as lions are not hanging out with all the other animals but rather hang out - sometimes completely alone - but certainly mostly just with a few other lions, youmay need to separate yourselfsometimes.
Consider what you need for your own positive leadership and see if some of these lion qualities support you in your goals.
FAQs
Lions has always been considered as the symbol of power, bravery, courage, strength fearlessness and ferocity. These attributes contribute as a building block of his success as a leader.
What are the characteristics of a lion as a leader? ›
Lions has always been considered as the symbol of power, bravery, courage, strength fearlessness and ferocity. These attributes contribute as a building block of his success as a leader.
What are 5 personality traits of a lion? ›
Lions are typically decisive, confident, and natural leaders who are focused on achieving their goals. They are often very independent and self-sufficient, valuing their own strength and competence. However, lions can also be prone to anger and aggression, particularly when their authority or control is challenged.
What are the leadership lessons from lion? ›
Before deciding on the animal to go for, lions take time to study a herd. To be able to do so, lions seek out weaknesses on the part of their prey, such as a sick, hurt or lone animal. What key lesson do we derive from that? Analytical leaders take time to make decisions and take advantage of opportunities.
What is the lions leadership style? ›
The lion is good at making decisions and is very goal- oriented. They enjoy challenges, difficult assignments, and opportunity for advancement. Because lions are thinking of the goal, they can step on people to reach it.
What are 4 characteristics of a lion? ›
Lions have strong, compact bodies and powerful forelegs, teeth and jaws for pulling down and killing prey. Their coats are yellow-gold, and adult males have shaggy manes that range in color from blond to reddish-brown to black. The length and color of a lion's mane is likely determined by age, genetics and hormones.
What does the lion symbolize in leadership? ›
Lions can also symbolize leadership. This association crosses many cultures as well. As it is true with nobility, traits like courage and strength are common in good leaders. There is also the impression that lions are kings among beasts.
What are 3 lion traits? ›
General characteristics
The lion is a well-muscled cat with a long body, large head, and short legs. Size and appearance vary considerably between the sexes. The male's outstanding characteristic is his mane, which varies between different individuals and populations.
What are a lion's strengths? ›
Lions are very strong and much stronger than humans. They are around 7 times stronger than a human and can jump over 3 times further than a human. They also have a bite force five times stronger than any human which means they can bite into things much easier.
What does lion symbolize in personality? ›
And according to cultural symbolism expert and founder of Typically Topical, Charlotte Kirsten, “Lions are true symbols of courage, power, strength, inner wisdom, leadership and self-actualization,” who adds, “They venture into our lives when we're on the verge of making all-important leaps of faith, imploring us to ...
Chimpanzees are great leaders. The alpha males possess leadership qualities like generosity, peacekeeping, and empathy. According to Chimpanzees, they love building communities; although they use complex leadership techniques, their primacy maintains social harmony among the alliances or groups.
What animals can teach us about leadership? ›
Animal leadership is often about what individual animals can teach us: We should communicate and work in teams, just like wolves do. We should be driven by a singular vision, just like the eagle – and we should adapt quickly to change, just like chameleons. But animal leadership can also be applied to our pets.
What are the 5 animal leadership styles? ›
Which personality traits do you think are the most effective for a leader?
- A MONKEY. Your leadership style is: Democratic. ...
- A HORSE. Your leadership style is: Coaching. ...
- AN EAGLE. Your leadership style is: Transformational. ...
- AN ELEPHANT. Your leadership style is: Servant. ...
- A DOG. Your leadership style is: Affiliative.
Mane - The leader of the Pride. Manes assure that all order is kept, and that Pride Law is enforced. They also assure that their cubs are kept safe, along with their Pridemates.
What are the characteristics of a good lion? ›
Lions are generous, friendly and great communicators so they are good at knowing what's going on. As natural performers, they like to join in with people and have bundles of enthusiasm, making them popular team members.
