by Tyler Brandt, National Recruiting Coordinator
In 1937 a concept was published that has been discussed, dissected and disseminated in every conceivable way across every possible industry. Thought leaders, CEOs, managers, coaches, you name any type of leader and they have used this concept in an inspirational speech along the way to their team and employees.
As it usually happens, if you believe and look hard enough, life imitates art in a way that leaves us with indistinguishable knowledge that the 77 year old concept is was then and is now – real. The basic concept of the book Think And Grow Rich was……..
If you have a belief and a passion that is strong enough and you surround yourself with like-minded, passionate people – regardless of how many failures you have – success is inevitable!!
Well, it seems that a group of Hymenopus Coronatus decided to read the book and incorporate that same philosophy in the Amazon jungle. The Orchid Mantis has made evolutionary changes to mimic flowers in the jungle for camouflage. This puts itself in a much better position for success in hunting for food. A study conducted by scientists James O’Hanlon and Marie Herberstein of Macquarie University in Australia shows the Orchid Mantis actually attracted MORE insects than the actual flower it was mimicking.
The interesting part is the strategy the Orchid Mantis implements is different from most other camouflaging predators. They are out in the open, out in front on the flower and are not sitting back in the vegetation hiding, waiting for insects to come by via happenstance. This is a really important shift because so many people wanting to succeed go at it from the comfort of the camouflage back in the vegetation and wonder why someone else is having so much more success.
The Orchid Mantis has proven the real secret is not keeping your desire, goals, dreams and passion hidden in the backdrop. The lesson is to mimic those who came before you, even if it requires a massive change in your personal paradigm! If you attempt to feed on the left-overs of the Orchid Mantis from back in the shadows – that is exactly what you will get, the scraps and leftovers, if there are any.
When you have the opportunity to follow something or someone that has been successful in what it is you are attempting to be successful at, latch on and do what they did. Get out front and commit 100% to doing exactly what “that guy” did because he was a national champion, made it to the league, coached a national championship team or whatever.
The biggest question is this – as a coach, will you evaluate your program honestly? When you discover what needs to be changed, are you willing to make an evolutionary change to create enormous success in your program? Are you willing to learn from the Orchid Mantis (and all of the others doing the same thing) to bring absolute success to your team?