1. The corporate leaders must learn how and why the ‘blue ringed octopus’ has earned the
infamous title of ‘the most poisonous animal in the marine world’. The story of Komodo
dragon, the biggest terrestrial reptile is also no way different from the deadly blue
ringed octopus. Instead of knowing how poisonous these animals are or what type of
poison they carry and its chemistry etc., a search on how these animals have become
‘poisonous’ only will give the correct management understanding to the corporate
leaders.
Research studies have proved that only the microbes, especially some species of
bacteria that resides in the buccal cavity (mouth) of these animals, actually produce the
toxin/poison. The toxin produced by these microbes enable their host – the blue ringed
octopus and Komodo dragon to be deadly and dangerous.
In nature, between the poison producing microbes and blue ringed octopus & Komodo
dragon are said to have established mutually benefiting relationship. The microbes
achieve a ‘safe and secured’ habitat to live. While the host animals get the poison as
reward to deal their prey and predators by being the most ‘scary’ animals.
Only through such mutually benefiting relationship established by these animals (blue
ringed octopus and Komodo dragon) with the deadly microbes, have earned the
notoriety and could enter the list of the ‘deadly poisonous’ animals in the world.
Many corporate people do entertain such wrong association. If the camaraderie is not
right and wisely chosen, the consequences can be deadly. The relationship with the
vendors, the business practices followed by the corporate, the people who are
‘anointed’ to govern the corporate activities etc., can have the same effect as how both
the blue ringed octopus and Komodo dragon are deadly.
This cardinal management message, the corporate leaders must learn and accordingly
they must build the corporate culture.
The most single man owned corporate knowingly supports such culture for and by
developing blue ringed octopus or Komodo dragon by providing the required support
and encouragement. They further justify that in business, competitiveness only wins
and not defining or value judging the ethics of how should one be ‘competitive’. They
may harbor ‘such poisonous microbes’ (unscrupulous people) to do many business
games that are virtually unethical.
Every action must be validated and corrected at its source. If the appropriate
corrections are not done at the source ‘document’ the same pattern of actions would
flow continuously. Simply blaming the ‘action’ serves nothing.

2. The HR function in every corporate must also see what kind of ‘mutualism’ is happening
between different people within and outside the organization at the business level and
also how they affect the direction of corporate culture.
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