Here’s an interesting fact about honey bees: they die after they sting. They die because when they sting, they can’t pull the barbed stinger back out. So they leave behind not only the stinger, but also part of their abdomen and digestive tract, plus muscles and nerves. In a nutshell, if I were a honey bee, I’d think more than twice before stinging; knowing that doing so would come at a very high price.
As leaders, let’s approach our interactions with people as if we were honey bees – especially offenses and our responses to them. Here are some thoughts to consider:
1. Like a honey bee, you lose a part of yourself when you lash out at someone. It might feel gratifying in the moment as you feel the warmth and false sense of “power” and “control”. Inadvertently, this feeling won’t last. If you have good morals, you will feel empty and hollow after lashing out.
2. If you remembered that “stinging” someone might hurt them for a moment, but would hurt you also – either by the remorseful feelings that follow, or by the sabotaging actions of the individual you “stung” – you’d take a moment to consider the effects of your actions before taking them.
Remember that bees must sting when attacked. That is their only defense mechanism. But we humans, when attacked, don’t have to operate by instinct alone. We can pause, ponder, plot, and find alternative actions to the first reaction that pops to mind.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ugo is an energetic and dynamic speaker. He is the founder of NEU Gen Leaders – a youth leadership organization with a mission of helping the youth discover their life’s identity and mission. He is the author of the book “Secrets of Academic Excellence”.