Why Dolphins?

After several philosophical conversations, we have come to conclude dolphins provide a fascinating representation to our organization. Dolphins are socially skilled, intelligent, agile, joyful, and playful creatures that share many emotional similarities with humans. They are intensively social mammals that communicate with each other and although marine mammal experts remain unconvinced, dolphins seem to have their own language that allows them to collaborate very effectively.

Like dolphins, Stratego Solutions hopes to build a broad, connected and dynamic community of strategists and practical dreamers that want to make changes in the world. More than a network, we hope to develop a community of long-lasting, honest, caring, and genuine relationships with all stakeholders. As the diversity found in dolphins’ species, Stratego Solutions hopes to build a community from people around the world to collaborate and succeed together.

Most dolphins live in pods composed of 2 to 30 that constantly change; they live in what scientists call ‘fission-fusion’ societies as they come and go from small groups. They are agile and adaptable to different environments, hence Stratego Solutions wants to train their team and clients to ‘pivot like a dolphin’.

Read the article “Learn to Pivot like a Dolphins” from Adam Kahane for more information. Like humans, dolphins sometimes get together in large groups or ‘herds’ for a while and occasionally, when food is plentiful, they may join together into a ‘super pod’ of over 1,000 dolphins. Although this only tends to happen in deep ocean, but don’t worry because we will get there soon.

This is a call for all business and organizational leaders to stop being sharks in the industry and become dolphins; together in collaboration, we will succeed.

Why sharks may be afraid of dolphins?
Although they are beautiful creatures, dolphins are one of the most feared animals from sharks. Dolphins are ‘more than peas in a pod’ because unlike sharks they travel in groups. Sharks are in danger if they try to attack a dolphin because the rest of the pod will rush in to defend their buddy.

“When You Mess the Dolphin, You Get the Snout” – SeaWorld

Known to be stealthy hunters, sharks’ best chance to take down a dolphin is when it’s unaware or in a blind spot. However, if the first attempt is not successful, the dolphins can easily escape or regroup to combat the shark with the rest of the pod. As mentioned by Daphne Fecheyr in “The Strategy of the Dolphin: Scoring a win in a chaotic world”:

“Dolphins’ behaviour is not predictable; they change their actions after having evaluated the situation. Usually they will go for a win-win outcome, but can deliberately choose for a lose-win strategy. Dolphins like to win, but they don’t need for you to lose unless you insist on it.”

Collaborating and putting people first can make us stronger, even stronger than any shark.

Why be a dolphin instead of a shark in the industry?
Beside the obvious charm, likability and looks.

Dolphins’ biggest advantage over sharks’ strength is their intelligence. Using echolocation, the dolphin can easily escape or regroup to combat the shark with the rest of the pod. The classic battle of brains and brawns between dolphins and sharks explains it all. However, if you are an individual or an organization that called yourself a shark in the industry please don’t take offence, we are only referring to biological facts from sharks and dolphins.

This is a call to ask all our fellow business and organizational leaders to join us and become dolphins in the industry because in collaboration we are stronger than any shark. Although sharks cannot change their DNA to become dolphins, we humans can make active decisions to put people first and work together to make practical changes in the world.

If you are an expert in an industry or an academic, you know what they say:

“You Can’t Spell Dolphin without PhD” - SeaWorld

What if I don’t consider myself a dolphin, I thought myself as a shark or I hoped to be one?
Being a dolphin is the idea that we are stronger together and that as a unit we can adapt to any situation and help each other succeed. Nonetheless, there are many species of dolphins and the one you may relate or aspire to be is a Killer Whale (orca). They are known to be an apex prey as they are the largest member of the dolphin family and they even hunt great white sharks when food is scarce.

Yes, you read it correctly. They hunt white sharks… but only when their food is scarce because they are not savages. However, we do not condone any hunting on this platform. We believe there is enough food for everyone in the world and it is just a matter of redistribution, so do not go hunting white sharks my fellow dolphins.

It is in integral collaboration that we can all professionally grow and succeed.

Join us at Stratego Solutions and let’s work together as a full-time orca, part-time shark tamer.