By P Chong                                            Sun. 30 May 2010

Source: Free Wolf Photo Gallery

Perhaps it’s not too lowly to think & act like animals . . . you’d be surprised what you can learn from them. We humans who pride ourselves as masters & superior beings over the earth are lacking in the many good qualities possessed by the wolves . . .

Australians may not know as much about the wolves as their American counterparts since wolves do not inhabit the “great down-under”.This ancestor of the domestic dog that lives throughout the forest regions of North America is a fascinating creature. It’s kind of a “utopian” society where teamwork, loyalty and communication are the norm rather than the exception. In a wolf pack, wolves exist for each other. They always work as a team.

Humans on the contrary are focused on individualism & self-centredness. It’s the “I” factor that rules the life – where “I” is appropriately represented by Individualism, Importance & Independence, even to the extent of feeling the sense of being Indispensable.

To add credence to what I say, let’s refer this matter to what Dr Yahya al-Yahya wrote in his book “Understanding The Nature Of The Human Being”:

“It is necessary to understand the fundamental nature of a human being, that he is: weak, hasty, ignorant and unjust. He is also unappreciative, anxious, obstructive, fearful, mean, stingy, and miserly. He loves to argue, arrogantly ignores and turns away from his Lord in wealth and health, and despairs when in poverty and sickness. He also rejoices and boasts when in wealth to other slaves of Allah. He is never fed up or bored of asking for wealth.

These characteristics are always present in one; however, they increase or decrease, surface or fade away according to the upbringing and the amendment of the spirit . . . He is also afflicted with hardships, works industriously, and struggles diligently all his life. ”

Twyman Towery, Ph.D., a professional speaker and consultant who studied the lessons of leadership in nature, has captured them in a new book for Simple Truths called Wisdom of Wolves. Twyman shares the parallels between the wolf pack and human behaviour . . . in business life, family life, and personal life.

Briefly, below is an introduction to Towery’s writing:

“The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualisation of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals.

Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him.

The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies.

There is a silly maxim in some organisations that everyone, to be a valuable member, must aspire to be the leader. This is personified by the misguided CEO who says he only hires people who say they want to take his job. Evidently, this is supposed to ensure that the person has ambition, courage, spunk, honesty, drive – whatever. In reality, it is simply a contrived situation, with the interviewee jumping through the boss’s hoops. It sends warnings of competition and one-upmanship throughout the organisation rather than signals of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty.

Everyone does not strive to be the leader in the wolf pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status – there are. But each wolf’s role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years. The wolf’s attitude is always based upon the question, “What is best for the pack?” This is in marked contrast to us humans, who will often sabotage our organisations, families or businesses, if we do not get what we want.

Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act.

Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf’s expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf’s attitude is always that success will come-and it does.”