The document discusses how leaders in the corporate world can learn from examples in the animal kingdom about avoiding "judgment errors," noting that while cheetahs are often successful in catching deer, their success depends more on accurately judging distances than superior capabilities, and constant pressure like a cheetah chasing a deer can harm creativity and talent in subordinates. Leaders are advised to avoid waking up one day needing immediate results and instead plan ahead to make wise judgments and minimize errors.

1. Making error in judgment is not uncommon in corporate world. The consequences
or the implications of such error are also well known to the corporate. The issue is
not about the error but about how to avoid such ‘judgment errors’ and knowing
what actually contributes to such state is what the leaders must focus and learn
from the animal world.
The fastest animal known to man on date is Cheetah. The recorded highest running
speed of cheetah is 114 kilometers per hour. But such speed, the animal can
maintain only for a few seconds. On the other hand, the deer also can run around 80
kilometers per hour but can maintain the speed for much larger time period.
The deer with such great capacity falls prey to cheetah. Knowing the capability of
the deer well, cheetah chases and catches the deer. Sometime cheetah also fails in
its hunting attempt.
The root cause for the failure or success is not the capability or its superiority but
only the error in judging the distance of the prey by the predator or the prey about
the predator, present success/failure to cheetah or death/life to a deer.
Hence the judgment has to be wise, spontaneous, correct and accurate. This
message the corporate world must understand. It is not avoiding or delaying the
‘judgment’ is as an option but how to be wise is what one should learn.
In the case of deer, the fear due to the chasing cheetah from behind certainly allows
the deer to be unwise and makes error in judgment. Many corporate bosses do
behave like cheetah and always they chase the subordinates to achieve the
target/result. The constant chasing does harm the creativity, wisdom and
understanding of the people. Sometime such approach may yield result but never
makes the people ‘empowered’ and ‘talented’.
The reason for the bosses to behave like cheetah is nothing but the acute necessity.
If cheetah had planned properly and hunt before it becomes totally hungry, much of
the judgment error would not have happened or can be avoided. The corporate
leaders should not wakeup one fine morning to realize that results are not
happening and hence chase the subordinates from behind like how a cheetah chases
the deer.
Neither the boss nor the subordinate lacks talent, merit or capability to achieve the
result. But unfortunately, they have not used them wisely and timely. Remember, it
is not just the capability enables one to become successful but knowing and using it
appropriately and making least ‘judgment error’ only ensures success.
Death of the deer is what makes the success of cheetah. This management approach
is fine only for prey and predators in nature. The corporate should understand the
message differently and apply the same wisely. Understand the fact that most

2. judgment errors are happening only due to the 11 th hour chase or follow up for
result.
Learn the lesson wisely from both the success and failure of cheetah and deer as
both has many essential management lessons to share.
Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai
Learn more from the following management books
1. Jungle wisdom for corporate management – lessons from the university
of nature by Swami Sukhabodhananda and Dr S Ranganathan
2. Nature – The Entrepreneur by Dr S Ranganathan