A friend of The Culture Coaches went on a safari and upon returning shared amazing stories about Africa, the land and the animals. One animal that kept coming to his mind was the Giraffe. "I never really noticed giraffes before this trip," he said. "They are so graceful, beautiful, gentle and yet so strong. They are so interesting to watch. They command attention without asking for it."

The Culture Coaches were intrigued by his story so we continued studying the giraffe. Have you noticed how amazing this creature is? Early written records describe the giraffe as "magnificent in appearance, bizarre in form, unique in gait, colossal in height and inoffensive in character." The Culture Coaches agree and we quickly made this elegant animal our icon, the symbol that captures how we feel about life and work.

How might your own personal and professional leadership compare to that of the amazing giraffe? What can you learn from giraffes?

Stand tall, look beyond the now and into the future:
The giraffe is the tallest of all living animals allowing it to look to the horizon, seeing beyond what's in front and comprehending what's ahead. The giraffe uses its reach to get a neck up on other browsing animals. The giraffe's long limbs, neck and tongue enable them to reach vegetation in the trees - well above the limits of other browsing animals.

How often do you take time to envision the future?

Gentle Strength:
Giraffes are non-territorial, social and do not eat meat. They live off plants and leaves. Because they are able to reach vegetation not easily accessible to other animals, its diet is full of nutrients. It does not hunt or hurt other animals. The giraffe can, however, protect itself and its calves. It is a difficult and dangerous adversary even to a lion, the king of the jungle. In fact, the lion is the only predator that poses a serious threat to an adult giraffe or its young. The giraffe defends itself and its calves with a powerful, single, well-placed kick.

How well do you work with others?

Uniqueness:
The giraffe is an interesting mix of a camel's body and a leopard's spots. In fact the Ancient Romans called giraffes "cameleopards." Giraffe spots are never the same pattern. Every giraffe has its own set of unique coloring and spotting, just like humans. The giraffe also has an unusual gait with left legs moving together followed by the right. It is one of the rare animals that walk this way.

What makes you special and unique?

We encourage you to take note of these interesting facts. The next time you visit a zoo, search out giraffes and spend time discovering what magnificent animals they really are.

Be sure to reflect on how magnificent YOU really are!