Fireflies in the Mangroves

“So the brighter it shines, the more newcomers join and add their light. This is true just as much for humans as it is for fireflies: The more you help people find their light, the brighter you both will shine.” ~ Shawn Achor

Time and time again I find myself coming back to the story of the fireflies in the mangroves told in Shawn Achor's book Big Potential. In 1935, in a jungle in Southeast Asia Professor Hugh Smith saw the entire canopy of mangrove trees light up and then go dark …. And then it lit up once again and went dark once again. Every tree along the river was flashing and going dark at exactly the same time. When he told this story upon returning home, no one believed him. Modern science reports that when male lightning bugs light up randomly the likelihood of a female response is 3%. But when the male fireflies light up together the likelihood of a female response is 82%. “The success rate increased by 79 percentage points when flashing as an interconnected community rather than as individuals.”

The fireflies story applied to leaders and organizations suggests that when we coordinate and collaborate we all shine brighter. Research suggests that nearly every attribute of your potential is interconnected with others (intelligence, creativity, leadership, engagement). Some firefly questions for leaders: How smart do you make others around you? How much creativity do you inspire? How resilient do you make others? A leader's role is not to try to be the brightest light but to make others shine brighter as well.

“Big potential isn’t about trying to go faster alone. It’s about working to become better together.” ~ Shawn Achor