Gerald Durrell is one of my favourite authors. He was a Renaissance man who was a naturalist, conservationist, television presenter and writer. He wrote a number of books based on his experiences. Each one is a gem, full of sharp and humorous observations on humanity and its interface with animals, both in the wild state and nearer home.

I was recently rereading his book Birds, Beasts and Relatives and was struck anew by his ability to reinforce the fact that at the end of the day, we are but grown-up animals. As you might have guessed by now, my thoughts drifted onto familiar territory where I have been a denizen for many, many years. Let me share them with you.

Lion and lionesses: The so-called King of Beasts is a lazy lout, who makes the lionesses do all the hard work of hunting, but is first off the base when it comes to claiming the rewards. Did you say, “Hey, that is my CEO?” Do remember, I did not say it; you did.

Each lion heads a family with many lionesses and cubs. You can now see the animal kingdom's version of power without responsibility! The lionesses, I am sure, pretend to let the lion feel that he is in command; ditto, those who report to the CEO. I am sure the corporate lionesses, who for the purpose of this discusion shall be deemed to be gender neutral, are the real ones with their fingers on the remote control.

Rhino: The rhino is large, has an armoured body, and charges whenever it scents danger, but is seldom successful in downing its target since it has weak eyes.

Reminds me of the big guns in companies who charge at real and imaginary enemies, but seldom succeed in their objectives since they invariably choose the wrong targets and are further burdened by having only a sketchy idea of how to get there, leave alone what to do. Failure is of no consequence, since they have thick hides.

Elephant: A highly respected animal in the jungle, which makes its own highways through the jungle and cannot be hurried.

Have we not all seen senior folks who due to their size in the hierarchy amble along on journeys that do not follow the road map and mow down whoever is in their path. They do not distinguish between friend and foe; collateral damage is high and results uncertain.

Owl: A nocturnal bird that can see in the dark and is able to fly silently. It uses its acute sense of hearing to locate its prey. Hoots, and when provoked, can make screeching and screaming noises. It is also supposed to be very wise.

Sounds like a typical CFO, doesn't it!

Ostrich: A large, flightless bird that can run fast when needed, but mostly prefers to lay its head and neck flat on the ground to make them look like a mound of earth to escape the attention of predators. It is capable of causing serious injury with kicks from its legs, which can only kick forward.

A readily identifiable and widely distributed species in the corporate world, which specialises in burying its head when danger threatens, in the hope that it will go away; incidentally, this is something that real ostriches actually do not do!

Also capable of speedy exits when pushed to take responsibility. When provoked, are likely to thrash out and send out e-mails in defence of their actions or, as is more likely, lack thereof, with copies to as many people as possible.

Snake: A reptile that has got an unnecessarily bad reputation. Most snakes are harmless and even the few dangerous ones react and attack only when provoked.

Not necessarily true of the snakes that slither around in corporate offices. Unlike in nature, most of them are poisonous. You never know who is a snake till you are bitten without any provocation.

Lizard: A reptile that likes to adorn walls and ceilings with the help of the special surfaces on its feet. The corporate version sticks to its chair tenaciously for fear that if it vacates its perch, the system will collapse.

Cockroaches: They have been around for more than 100 million years and are everywhere. They are the hardiest of survivors.

Companies can be bombed out of existence but when the dust clears, the corporate cockroaches will be the first ones that will emerge from the debris.

Migratory birds: It is a well-known fact that birds migrate to find food and good weather. Think corporate advisors and consultants and you have the picture. They fly in, they feed and leave when the weather changes and the food runs out.

Of course, there are plenty of good, virtuous animals in nature, just as the vast majority of corporate folks are good, hardworking, honest people who make the system not just survive but also grow. But, hey! Who wants to know about such dull folks!

(The writer is corporate advisor to Manipal Education and Medical Group and 3i Infotech Ltd. He can be reached at >mcshekaran@gmail.com )

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