While women’s empowerment has been a recent development in human society, wild animals have always been ahead of the game with ruling matriarchs. Here are some leadership lessons from nature’s queens!
Ah, humans, the most evolved, sophisticated species to have ever conquered the earth. There’s clearly no debating that we are highly intelligent, adaptable, and complex. This complexity, however, does bring out certain obstacles and difficulties in our daily lives.
Ever since the dawn of civilisation, the chains of patriarchy have restricted the female gender from absolute freedom and expression. Society’s set gender definitions have become a moral compass that is somehow strangely expected to be followed. Thankfully, all this stigma has been shattered in the last few years, as modern women and men have both evolved to perceive each other as equals on all common grounds, be it at work or at home. It’s wonderful to see so many women leaders in the world of politics, business and other major aspects of modern life.
As we welcome this wonderful transformation of a liberated and empowered society, we also have a lot to learn from other species that live in the wild who, from day one, have embraced and nurtured matriarchal leadership. Let’s get right to it!
Elephants
These lovable giants are more than what meets the eye. They are matrilineal which means that every female elephant is born into leadership. Every herd depends on their senior-most matriarch to show them the way when there’s a big decision to take. For example, dry summer and drought can pose a real threat to elephants, thanks to scarce water availability. At times like these, it is the matriarch who uses her excellent sense of memory and leads her herd to promising water sources she knows of from past experience.
Spotted Hyenas
Apart from hunting, females call all the shots when it comes to hyenas. They not only dictate the movement of their group but are also biologically better built than their fellow males. A female hyena’s leadership skills really shine whenever there are clan wars amongst hyenas. Female leaders have the capability to not only join forces and attack but also resolve disputes amongst clans.
Honey Bees
Well, they don’t call her queen bee for nothing! Every hive is run by female bees, with the queen at the top of the hierarchy. While the females are equipped with stings and working skills, the males live a less glamorous life and have a much shorter life span than the rest. The prime role of male bees is to mate with the queen and further her kind.
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Orca or Killer Whales
Don’t let their name fool you, these are very sociable animals who live complex lives. Orca females share a special bond with their kids and go through very similar experiences as that of a human mother, like menopause for instance. The pods are matriarchal and old female whales are seen as sources of wisdom as they far outlive the males.
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Bonobos
With a DNA that’s 99% similar to ours, it’s no surprise that bonobos have similar social structures and emotional bonds as humans. What’s awesome is that even the high-ranking males in their society are sons of high-ranking females. One very intrinsic part of bonobos’ social structure is the power of sisterhood. Now let’s say a male bonobo harasses one female. In this case, the dominant females get together and oust him with the power of unity.
Clearly, the capacity to see women as leaders is not only progressive but also has always been nature’s way for the above species.
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Every woman’s first step towards leadership and independence should start by taking charge of personal finance. The world of digital banking has made this possible at just the click of a button. Ready to bring out the queen in you? Start by getting your finances on the right track – explore Personal Loans, Credit Cards and much more!