Contradiction for success– Learn your HR message from the seed of bluebonnet plant

Why most of the grain and seed eating birds also eat/swallow pebbles/small stones? Is this an accident or an intentional act? The possible answer is that the stones swallowed by the bird really acts like the grinding stones and grind the seeds and grains in the stomach/gut. This is how birds breakdown the hard seeds and grains. It means, birds swallowing stones is intentional and deliberate and also has a biological purpose.

The seeds of the state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet would looks exactly like stones. To resist the hard adverse environmental conditions, the seeds are said to have evolved like hard pebbles or stones. But the seeds although looks like pebbles, have no escape as birds thinking these seeds to be stones, swallow them. But interestingly the seeds don’t get digested in the stomach of the birds as they are too hard to break down. During defecation, the seeds get dispersed in different places and become new plants.

This complex behaviour of birds eating pebbles and the seeds of bluebonnet appear like pebbles after knowing the behaviour of some birds to get the seeds of bluebonnet eaten by such birds appear amusing. The seeds that enter the gut of the birds are well adapted to escape the gastric action of the stomach and hence they gets dispersed through the excretory route of birds and become a new plant. This complex relationship of bird and bluebonnet plant has a strong management message for the corporate leaders.

First and foremost, people must know their competitor/predator or who can prey upon them. Then one has to change the tactics and leadership style to overcome the competition. If one finds it hard to prevent predation (competition), then must learn to out win the competition/predation by going along with it but still be smart. The word competition is used only to relate the context of the article to convey a message to the modern corporate.

The message is that by evolving/adapting the seeds to looks like stones/pebbles, the bluebonnet seeds still could not escape birds eating them. Birds eat pebbles to crush the grains and seeds. So the seeds evolved further to overcome the gut digestion of birds and that is how it has become successful. Perhaps, the seed of bluebonnet plant would have evolved like seed only to get eaten by birds.

If we evolve a right strategy to deal with the competition today, it may work only for the moment and need not give permanent protection/support. A permanent citadel to overpower competition, no corporate can ever make. Realize that if the existing strategy is not working, complement the existing strategy by amending a new supplementary strategy or develop a new one. Evolving newer/innovative and improvised methods and techniques and that is extremely essential.

Competition do grows continuously. Along with the growing competition, one has to be wise enough to grow several competencies to out through the competition. Look at the marvel of natures’ creation – the bluebonnet plant. Understand the miracle of nature strictly from the management perspective. Every subtle aspect in nature, a deep management message is inscribed. Develop instinct and interest to read such management inscriptions of nature and be successful.

Let your understanding about the seeds of bluebonnet plant of Texas be just the beginning.

Dr S Ranganathan