Terrific Thursday Tails: Skunk

Photo credit: Christa Gampp | Flickr

More than what meets the nose…

For those known for their flatulence and pungent scent, I’m pretty sure that you’ve definitely been called a skunk once at the very least. Fear no longer, as being labeled a skunk is truly a tremendous compliment to receive from anyone with regards to leadership skills.

Fundamentally, skunks are omnivores and they habitually forage at night till the wee hours of the morning. Their typical diet predominantly consists of plants, insects, worms, reptiles and rodents.

Skunks will inflict pain and misery to anyone or anything that poses a significant threat to them and will respond by ejecting their sulfur-smelling oily musk up to 10 feet out of their anal glands as a defence mechanism. Besides the foul smell that sticks around for days or even weeks, the spray is acutely irritating and may cause blindness momentarily in anyone with the misfortune of getting caught up in the muddle.

Skunks often live in isolation and are solitary creatures when they aren’t mating but may den together during the coldest part of winter. Furthermore, these animals can be classified as pests and will almost certainly cease the chance to prey on poultry and rummage through trash. Skunks also have the uncanny ability to burrow and den beneath buildings to seek refuge and protection.

Leadership lesson

Leaders should always be willing to get out of their comfort zone and respond to changes and fluctuations in the environment around them to ensure success in their endeavours.

Leaders don’t let problems that pose underlying threats to any business they operate linger. They take preemptive measures to stay one step ahead of their competitors.

The great entrepreneurs of the world constantly make the most of every opportunity that comes their way and are extremely resourceful in any project they undertake. When time calls for teamwork, they will do so and when it’s time to be on their own, they take a step back for moments of reflection.
#SkunkGoals

Random poem:
A skunk has a nose,
It loves its soup,
Get too close,
You’ll smell like poop.

For more Terrific Thursday Tails, click here. Let us know the animals you want us to feature at editor@leaderonomics.com and we’ll bring you leadership lessons from them! We also welcome your submissions (250–300 words) too!