Terrific Thursday Tails: Ostrich

Photo credit: Ronnie Macdonald | Flickr

Chickaboo. Yes, that runaway ostrich which ran along the Federal Highway last Thursday. It become an internet sensation that some companies took the opportunity to make references to it through advertisements and memes for their marketing purposes. Can you blame them?

As we all know now, ostrich are agile creatures who are capable of running up to 30 miles per hour, and sprint up to 40 miles per hour. How is that even possible?

It’s thanks to their two toes. Yes, you heard me. Two toes (most birds have four). They run on their longer toe while they rely on their shorter toe for balance. This explains why they are capable of outrunning their predators like lions, leopards and hyenas.

Besides that, their legs also function as a weapon against predators. Their kicks are capable of killing a human and a potential predator like a lion. So, it is best we do not get in their aggressive way.

Another surprising fact is that they do not bury their head in the ground! They, however, do dig holes in the dirt to use as nests for their eggs. They are smart creatures. As an example, when an ostrich is threatened, it will lie low and press its long neck to the ground in order to be less visible or it will run away.

However, if it ever gets caught, it will not be reluctant to fight its pursuer with its powerful legs.

Leadership lesson

In order to achieve the goal we desire, we need to be agile to change because time is not always on our side.
Being wise is crucial because it helps us make good choices when it comes to deciding a course of action that is best for our organisation.

In Chickaboo’s case, we learn that leaders need to recognise when they need to ‘sprint’ and move forward in their leadership journey, and when to slow down and get help when it is needed.