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Yes, the world can be a frightening place.
Prices rising. Purchasing power falling. Competition tough. Skilled workers in short supply. Colleagues and teammates less committed. Playing field not level. Future uncertain. Many people unprepared and uncertain of their next move.
But wait. Dig through history and you’ll find… none of this is new. It’s the way life has been every day since the beginning of time.
Adversity has always existed. And always will.
Welcome to Planet Earth.
So how do you cope… when things don’t go your way?
I suggest — take a lesson from one who “copes” brilliantly well.
Ask yourself this:
Who before me has handled this same misfortune, difficulty, calamity — this same conspiracy of negative events — better than anyone — who came out smelling like a rose — who I can learn from — whose lead I can follow?
The answer may shock you.
Turns out, the ‘ultimate champion’ of surviving and thriving in a hardship environment can be found…
…not in the human world…
…but in the animal kingdom.
And you may never guess which critter wins the trophy for long-term survival under adverse conditions… and how.
Surprisingly, it’s not about being the biggest, baddest, or strongest.
Not about having the fiercest growl, longest fangs, quickest chase, or most vicious ability to fight.
Not even the clearest vision, highest leaping ability, or largest pack of angry, fearsome buddies.
Nope. It’s about something else.
One thing.
The ability to adapt.
To adapt to whatever his changing environment throws at him. So it doesn’t just sputter along, eke it out, and barely get by…
…but rather grows, thrives, and flourishes with each change!
I call your attention to the role model you might consider patterning your own life, behavior, and habits after…
…the furry creature most adaptable to whatever mankind, the environment, and the world hurls at him.
I call your attention to…
…the coyote.
Because coyotes, you see, outperform all the rest.
Through the centuries, while many animal species have dwindled in number, become endangered, and eventually extinct…
…the coyote lumbers on… healthier, stronger, more grizzled, and in greater numbers than ever before.
How is this possible?
Adaptability.
Want proof? Listen to this…
All living creatures have been forced to deal with the encroachment of mankind and the constant sprawl of civilization. But while other species have suffered as their natural habitats shrink, the coyote has learned to adapt — and can live in cities as big as Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta. In areas where wolves have been exterminated, coyotes usually flourish. Coyotes, unlike most animals, are better able to live among people.
How? They adapt.
Want more?
While most animals respond best to only one or a couple geographical locales, coyotes inhabit all life zones — deserts, grasslands, low valley floors, open plains, foothills, high mesas, tall mountains, as well as populated neighborhoods. (I live in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood, and yes, we have coyotes, spotted every day, howling every night.)
How? They adapt.
But wait… still more.
While many animal species are limited in their means of foraging for food, the coyote hunts multiple ways — alone, in pairs, or in packs.
How? They adapt.
Don’t go away… not done.
While many animal species live on only a limited number of foods, the coyote is an omnivore — eating just about anything — cactus fruit, mesquite beans, flowers, insects, rodents, lizards, rabbits, birds, snakes, fish, frogs. It even eats larger animals like lamb, calves and other livestock. Also, domestic pets like dogs and cats. And unlike many, it will eat meat both fresh and rotten.
How? They adapt.
Still more…
While many in the animal kingdom are awake either in daytime or night — but not both — the coyote, though mostly nocturnal, has become a 24-hour animal.
How, you ask? They adapt.
Summation: The coyote flourishes today, despite every ounce of adversity uncaringly heaped upon it from an indifferent world.
Coyotes brush it off… they make lemonade out of lemons.
The U.S. Marine Corps has an unofficial mantra: Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.
Without question, doubt, or peer… coyotes are the Marines of the animal kingdom.
Reminds me of the old German proverb: “There is no such thing as bad weather. Only inappropriate clothing.”
In other words: you can’t change the weather, but you can adapt to whatever the weather is.
That’s what coyotes do best. Adapt. To any and all adversity they can’t control.
Actions For You:
Charles Darwin, famed evolutionary biologist, said it best: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change.”
That is true for all living things — animals, plants…
…and yes, humans.
So, let’s zero in on YOU, and your important role as a leader.
Have you forged a “coyote culture” in your organization? With your team? In your family?
This is not an option — it’s an obligation of leadership. It must show up not just in what you expect of others, but in how you carry yourself. You must model the very behavior you want in others.
As Gandhi said: “Be the change you seek.”
Throughout your office, plant, or workspace — even on letterhead, web sites, Zoom formats — why not post all 5 of the powerful maxims noted here…
(1) the Marine mantra, (2) the German proverb, (3) the Darwin philosophy, (4) the Gandhi quote, and (5) the term Coyote Culture.
Drill them into your team. Chisel them in stone. Live them daily. Hold others accountable.
In life, no one is guaranteed success, promised prosperity, or ensured safety.
You earn them by how well you learn, grow, improve, and apply.
And just as important…
…by how well you adapt to whatever life throws at you.
Power Thought: "All failure is failure to adapt. All success is successful adaptation.” Max McKeown, behavioral strategist, scientist, author.
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