ELEPHANTS, PART I
By most measures, between 94% and 96% of those working in the trades are men. With full respect to the women who also choose this path—and who bring enormous value to it—this Note speaks primarily to the men in our industry. But don’t worry, my female readers will find something to appreciate in the Elephants series, too.
This also continues a thread from the From Can-Do-It to Conduit series, where we’ve been exploring how the role of the business owner is changing. Not because markets have shifted (they always do), but because people have. More specifically, because many young men are entering the workforce technically capable but emotionally underprepared.
Scott Galloway, a business professor known for his blunt insights, recently said something that stuck with me:
“If you look at the singular point of failure in a young man’s life, it’s when he loses a male role model.”
That statement lingers. Not because it’s comforting, but because it resonates with what many of us are quietly observing in our shops, offices, and on job sites.
What if we viewed our work as business owners not only as a vehicle for accumulating things—power, property, prestige—but also as an opportunity to change the trajectory of someone’s life?
The Elephant Problem
Fr. Richard Rohr is an American Franciscan priest, writer, and spiritual teacher who has spent decades helping people think more deeply about maturity, leadership, and ego. In his work, he uses an interesting story about elephants that relates to the evolving role of business leaders.
In the 1990s, wildlife managers in South Africa faced a practical problem. Certain game reserves were becoming overpopulated with elephants, so they relocated groups of young males to new reserves to restore balance.
At first, everything appeared fine. Then the trouble started.
Rangers began noticing bizarre behavior. The young bull elephants began attacking rhinoceroses—animals they would normally ignore. They harassed other wildlife, destroyed property, and formed violent, gang-like groups. The aggression was extreme and inexplicable.
Eventually, researchers identified the issue: the young elephants had been relocated without mature bulls.
In the wild, older males model behavior, set boundaries, and impose discipline through calm presence and authority. Without them, the adolescents had no reference point. No restraint. No one to show them how to be powerful without being destructive.
When older bulls were finally brought into the reserve, the chaos ended almost immediately. No training. No punishment. Just presence. Balance was restored. This is a powerful metaphor for not only human development but for leadership in small businesses. In Part II, we’ll look more closely at how this dynamic shows up in our day-to-day leadership.
