Most people despise vultures and actually make fun of these birds of prey because they are scavengers. Getting closer to the vulture and studying its various species will surely give you one or two good lessons for success. Let’s look at the Lappet-faced vulture and the lessons we can borrow from this Bird.
The Lappet-faced Vulture is a scavenging bird, feeding mostly from animal carcasses, which it finds by sight or by watching other vultures. They are the most powerful and aggressive of the African vultures, and other vultures will usually cede a carcass to the Lappet-faced Vulture if the Lappet-faced decides to assert itself. Lappet-faced Vultures frequently hang around the edges of the throngs at large carcasses, waiting until the other vultures are done, to feed on remnant skin, tendons and other coarse tissues that the others will not eat.
They are believed to still-hunt from an elevated perch and then drop on their prey, stunning them with the impact and tearing them apart with their strong bills.
Most would still ask, so what’s there to learn from that short Wikipedia description of the birds. The lessons you are about to discover if used very well, will increase your success chances highly.
Sight
A vulture is a very big bird compared to eagles, the most popular birds of prey. In comparison to eagles again, vultures are far more powerful. However an eagle hunts its own prey while a vulture feeds from animal carcasses which it finds by sight. Power, agility and speed are not the only key characteristics to success. Perhaps even more important is just the ability to watch as you observe circumstances play to your benefit. There are times you are required to just sit back and observe situations then pounce when the timing is right. At times you are not required to sweat but just to observe and make a move when the right situation presents itself.
Assertiveness
Feeding of a Lappet-Faced Vulture so much depends only on whether it asserts itself or not. If the Lappet-Faced vulture fails to assert itself, surely it will not eat. Assertiveness is the ability to state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully or to cause others to recognize (one’s authority or a right) by confident and forceful behaviour. This is a critical trait of successful people. Just as the lappet-faced will not eat if it fails to assert itself, you will not succeed if you fail to assert yourself. Have the ability to speak confidently on your position in any given situations. Assertiveness will help you in transactions, negotiations, bargains and relationships and partnerships; which determine your success levels.
Patience
The ability to hang around, and wait until other vultures are done, is the manifestation of patience possessed by the Lappet- Faced vulture. The bird is so patient it can hang around and wait for other vultures to be done before it feeds. Most people cannot wait any longer when opportunities are nearby. Just as the vulture you need to know when the opportunity has fully arrived. Jumping in at the wrong time will result in more work on your part. You need patience if you are going to be successful.
Interest
The Lappet-Faced will wait to feed on what others will not eat. This means the survival of the Lappet-faced is on what other birds will not eat. The Lappet-Faced has managed to identify its interest. It will not desire to feed on what others have rather its eyes are on its interests only. To achieve success you need to identify your interests and only be concerned about them. Focus on your interests only and ignore any other things you are not interested in.
Elevation
Lappet-Faced Vultures are still hunters, who hunt from an elevated perch. They only drop with impact when they have identified prey. Successful people are always above situations, they only drop when they have observed opportunities, and when they drop, and they do so with impact. You need to operate from an elevated approach in order to observe opportunities. Operating from the ground or crowd will only limit your ability to observe you opportunities and this lessens your impact. If you need to be successful you need to draw yourself from the crowd and separate yourself from the rest. You need to look at things differently if you are to make a difference in life. In order to be successful exhibit higher levels of analysis, reasoning and judgement and then make decisions from that high level so that you make an impact.
Success lessons can be derived from anything, even the most despised of birds like the Lappet-Faced vulture.
Till next week, God bless you all.
Ciao…
The writer is a motivational speaker
He can be contacted on glendhliwayo@gmail.com
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