The moment I noticed it I felt the irony. A dragonfly resting on a dragonfly! And that is the moment I saw efficiency in motion.
Let me start at the beginning…
On a summer afternoon in our backyard garden, my wife and I enjoyed dinner in the warm sunshine. In Ann’s Fairy Garden, we have a few decorative items. Two are small steel sculptures on iron poles. One is a dancing woman, and the other is a dragonfly. You can spot these rusted pieces of art just above the flowers.
Because the garden is designed to attract them, we are always on the lookout for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. I saw a large blue dragonfly enter the yard and it landed on the metallic version of itself. It rested without motion and that is when the “this is ironic” thought entered my brain. Suddenly, the dragonfly moved to the left so quickly I almost missed it. Then, just as swiftly it returned to its post. We watched with fascination as the dragonfly flew (jumped describes it better) and returned. “It’s catching bugs,” I said loudly. “Yes, it is, Captain Obvious,” was Ann’s reply. [why my family gave me that moniker is a story for another post]
In less than two seconds that dragonfly moved from stillness to predator to stillness many more times. After giving us a 10-minute dinner show, this beautiful creature flew away, maybe to perform for someone else.
The Lesson about Great Leadership
Why does a great leader get more done than anyone else?
I notice a trait that all great leaders share – they get more S—T done in one day than we do in a week! After this Dragonfly Incident (summer 2021) I ‘saw’ the reason for this connection between the dragonfly and great leader. The great leader:
• Stays observant
• Is patient
• Is focused
• Is efficient
• Is goal directed.
The joy of accomplishment serves as motivational fuel for the great leader. Have you ever felt the joy of checking off an important task off your “Goals List?” That is the feeling you, a leader, want to enjoy every day.
Ron Rael Leadership Provocateur, is a keynote speaker, consultant, and author.
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