The Jungle Taught Me More About Leadership Than My ₹2 Lakh Coaching Course

Imagine living in a world where one male keeps 30 females under his complete control and violently attacks any rival that comes near.

Another kills his own young calves that could one day challenge his dominance.

Another kills babies that aren't his own.

Another wins mates simply because he controls the richest territory.

And every single day, someone is trying to kill someone else for food.

Sounds like the darkest version of humanity. Could such a world survive?

Oddly enough, it has. For hundreds of thousands of years. Because these aren't humans. They're animals.

The first is an impala. The second, a hippopotamus. The third, a lion. The fourth, a wildebeest.

This is nature. The same nature we admire. The same nature we call 'perfect.'

The classroom lesson

A few months ago, I completed a leadership coaching certification. One lesson was repeated throughout the program: "Don't be judgmental."

I understood the words. I agreed with them. But if I'm honest, I hadn't really learnt them.

Then I went on a safari in Africa. And suddenly, the lesson came alive.

What I couldn't fully learn after paying lakhs in a classroom became part of my DNA during a vacation. Nobody judges a lion for hunting. Nobody calls a hippo evil. We don't expect them to behave differently. They simply are what they are.

The human exception

But when it comes to humans, we judge almost instantly. "This is the right way." "My values are universal." "My perspective is reality."

Please don't misunderstand me — I'm not saying every human behaviour is acceptable. Society needs laws. Leadership needs accountability. Some actions are unquestionably wrong. But before we judge a person, perhaps we can first try to understand them. Understanding doesn't always lead to agreement. But it almost always leads to better decisions.

The leadership application

Since coming back from Africa, I've caught myself judging people a little less. As a leader. As a coach. As a husband. As a friend.

The jungle taught me something my classroom couldn't.

Great leaders don't judge first. They understand first. Because life isn't black and white. It's a million shades of grey.