Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai

1. Intelligence can have two separate dimensions. Hence before concluding someone
as intelligent, please understand the dimensions clearly is the message, nature
conveys to the corporate world through its creation of Green heron, woodpecker
finch and cuckoo.
Once the dimensions of intelligence of people in corporate are understood, assigning
the right task become easy and so is achieving success.
Look at the green heron. It is an aquatic bird, found largely in marshy areas and
near water bodies. The interesting aspect of this bird is its short legs. Since green
heron has short legs, it can catch fishes only in the shallow regions. Fishes does not
come to the shallow regions often.
The bird green heron is known to gather earthworms and other small insects or
crustaceans and place them in water to attract fishes. When the fishes come near
the bait, the green heron catches the fish. Its inherent limitation i.e., short legs, the
green heron has learned to overcome by using baits to attract the fishes in the
shallow region. It means, it attract the fishes to come to shallow regions.
The second example is wood pecker finch. It lives in dry land where cactus grows
predominantly. During dry season, the bird is known to collect thorns from cactus
plant and or small twigs, to dig out worms from tree holes. The woodpecker finch
uses its beak only to break open the surface skin of trees. Since its beak is small, it
cannot collect the worms from the tree holes. To overcome its limitation, the finch
has learned the science of using the thorn of cactus to catch worms.
In the case of cuckoo, it knows that crow and many other birds cannot differentiate
the eggs of cuckoo from its own. Hence it would wait for the crow and other birds to
build their nest. Then the cuckoo would lay its eggs in the nest of other birds and
make the crow and other birds to incubate and rear the young cuckoo without their
knowledge.
In corporate, people with all the above three types of intelligence can be seen.
The example of green heron and woodpecker finch denotes how one should use the
intelligence to overcome the inborn limitations or to enhance ones capability.
If leaders display the intelligence of green heron or woodpecker finch, such leaders
will have high level of task orientation and such leaders also would devise different
methods to overcome the limitations. Limitations never limit them from achieving
nor would make them to sit and grieve or complain.
The people with cuckoo intelligence although might achieve results, but make such
achievements only because of the inherent innocence of others. If people around
them become alert and smart, that would limit their success as the leaders with

2. cuckoo intelligence only know how to outsmart others and never know how to
perform.
Nature conveys a strong management message through the above three birds.
When you declare someone as intelligent, do not define people based on the result
they produce but also understand how they overcome limitations, how creative they
are in dealing different situations. Only such people can build the organization.
Dr S Ranganathan
ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai
Desire, Dream and Destination – Social Entrepreneur Forum