BUSINESS AND LIFE INSIGHTS COURTESY OF MOTHER NATURE
Because at the moment I’m struggling with the human side of society (at least, ahem, some of them), I stopped reading the news and started researching more soothing things like all of the daily miracles found in nature.
There are plenty of takeaways for business and life, so read on.
DID YOU KNOW THAT TREES COMMUNICATE, COOPERATE, AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER?
I became obsessed a while ago with Suzanne Simard’s research (if you haven’t yet read Finding the Mother Tree yet, do so immediately), which shows how trees, through underground fungal networks, share nutrients, warn of threats (by sending chemical signals through their roots and said fungal networks - nearby trees can then preemptively boost their defenses), and sustain one another - even among entirely different species. The Mother Trees (yes, majestic trees live in matriarchies) serve as the elders, supporting seedlings, nourishing weaker trees, and guiding the forest’s collective survival. When a tree is dying, it may donate its remaining resources to its neighbors through the fungal network, ensuring the survival of the forest community as a whole. SOB.
Business insight: Tap into the power of networks, thrive by way of interconnectedness, and make sure to take care of each other. Foster ecosystems rather than silos. Be a connector. Be generous.
DID YOU KNOW THAT BIRDS MOVE INTUITIVELY AND COLLECTIVELY?
Birds don’t plan their travel routes like us humans, meticulously gathering resources, securing provisions, fighting with Delta over status, and carefully choosing the best hotel pool. Instead, they respond to an inner call, an embodied sense of direction that’s reinforced by their shared movement. A group of starlings—beautifully called a murmuration, or a mesmerizing, shape-shifting flock—moves with a kind of collective leadership and trust, where each bird maintains focus on its seven closest neighbors, ensuring both individuality and cohesion. Canada geese demonstrate another form of shared responsibility: they take turns leading the V-formation, taking on the hardest work at the front before rotating back to rest.
Business insight: Respond to the inner call and follow your intuition and purpose. Great businesses don’t just chase profit, they follow a vision, a deeper calling that inspires both employees and customers. Great entrepreneurs take the risk and dive toward their destiny. Again and again. But make sure to rest and recharge when you need to.
DID YOU KNOW THAT ANTS ARE THE LEAST SOLIPSISTIC CREATURES EVER?
Ant societies function through simple yet profound cooperation. No single ant hoards resources for itself; instead, ants communicate food locations, ensuring that the colony thrives through shared abundance. Each ant contributes to the whole, carrying out its role without hierarchy, and demonstrating a model of decentralized, collective sustainability.
Business insight: View leadership as A shared responsibility. We humans in the working world do need leadership, of course, but it shouldn’t be authoritarian. Stop micromanaging, put a lid on perfectionism, and delegate - done is better than perfect, especially because perfect doesn't exist.
DID YOU KNOW THAT FUNGI - NOT EXACTLY THE MOST ATTRACTIVE ORGANISM IN MANY OF ITS FORMS - ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT AS NATURE’S WAY OF HEALING AND REMEDIATION?
Mycelium, better known as what created the monster zombies in the HBO show The Last of Us, is the underground structure of fungi, and carries this web of connection beyond the trees I mentioned above—it breaks down organic matter and creates the conditions new life needs to flourish. A fungal network is the largest organism on earth, spanning miles beneath the soil, breaking down decay and detoxifying damaged environments - some fungi even have the ability to clean up oil spills, break down pesticides, and absorb heavy metals.
Business insight: Recognize that it’s all about long-term impact. Ask yourself (daily) how your work (and you as a human while we’re at it) contributes to the well-being of the broader environment, economy, and society.
So much of the above also holds true for us outside of business, just humans and citizens living in this crazy world - and caring about it deeply.
Bottom line, we’re stronger through community, collaboration, sustainability, and most importantly, connection - it’s the only way through hard (or hopeless) times. Our human destiny is shared, not singular.
Life insights:
I say this a lot, but this is your reminder to accept, ask, receive
Loosen the grip - more and more I’m realizing that ultimately, what will be, will be. Hyper-control is exhausting…and just doesn’t really work.
Get a coach or therapist if you haven’t already.
Go out with your friends and have a good time, ffs. Find the joy.
Embrace a growth mindset. Stretch and learn something new or start a new hobby that you have no idea how to do. I’ll go first: I am learning to cook by practicing one new and hard recipe per week!
Finally, drop the phone and social media and literally hug a tree. The benefits are countless (read more about them here), not least getting out of the weeds (though walking through them is good - hello, grounding!), out of your head, and seeing firsthand the forest for the trees - the bigger connections of it all.