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About the MalleeFowl
2009 Australian Adventure
After several conversations with Susanne, Alan, and other members of the MPG, I came away from my visit even more impressed with their passion, commitment, and professionalism. The MPG is more than an organization dedicated to conserving Australia's endangered native species. It has become a community for the volunteers who are passionate in their pursuit of saving the Malleefowl and its habitat. But I also left Ongerup and, two 1/2 weeks later, Australia, with a revised perspective on the issues of globalization and a deeper connection to that part of the world. I was fortunate to be interviewed by Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio after my visit to Ongerup. In the interview, (to listen to the interview, click here), I reflected on my interest in the Malleefowl. It started out in 1998 as curiosity about this bird and its unique ability to manage the temperature of its mound to enable the eggs laid inside it to incubate. Then it grew into an appreciation for the grass roots efforts and increasing professionalism of the Malleefowl Preservation Group. It then expanded into an appreciation of the MPG's efforts and their link to Climate Change (the more the Malleefowl is protected and the more land that is returned to vegetation, then the more CO2 that gets absorbed out of the atmosphere, reducing the impact of that greenhouse gas. It has now expanded further into a realization of the link this interest gives me to Australia and another part of the world. By traveling to Australia and through conversations with so many different people about their lives, I have increased my knowledge of the nuances and challenges of globalization. Through conversations around innovation, I have also expanded my perspectives on the diversity of innovative efforts among the regions of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. And all this new knowledge helps keep me current and furthers my ability to teach and consult about strategic leadership and innovation! How I became involved with the Malleefowl in the first place!One of the ways I keep my creative edge is to travel. In 1998, I spoke at the Australian Association of Psychological Type's conference in Brisbane, Australia. In doing some research before my trip, I discovered that Australia has many amazing animals with fascinating stories about surviving in changing environments. One bird that particularly intrigues me is the Malleefowl.
When the egg hatches, the chick has to fight its way to the top of the mound. After reaching the top, it is able to run within two hours and fly within 24 hours. The chick is on its own, since the adult birds provide no parental care to their offspring. Many don't make it, because of animal predators and the clearing, grazing, and frequent burning of their habitats by humans. In fact, the Malleefowl is now classified as "rare or likely to become extinct." As a metaphor for the creative leader, the Malleefowl offers interesting comparisons. Working persistently to build the right culture and then to keep the right "temperature" for teams and individuals to flourish are key roles of a team leader. Letting creative ideas hatch on their own and recognizing that not all will survive are part of the creative process. Metaphors are helpful in contrasts that don't work as well. The life of the Malleefowl is a lonely one, in addition to a hard one. They take little nourishment and they are threatened with extinction. Hopefully that's not your story as a creative team leader?
For more information on this fascinating bird and the efforts to preserve it:
Malleefowl Preservation Group Inc.,
Tel: 08 9828 2007
Email: malleefowl.wa@wn.com.au
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In May, 2009, in addition to managing the change in time zones (12 hours time difference between Perth and Boston), I found myself navigating a car, driving on the other side of the road down to Ongerup, Western Australia. Ongerup is a farming township of 120 residents located approximately 400 km south east of Perth, where the Malleefowl Preservation Group is headquartered. After a lovely drive, I was treated to three wonderful days with two of the MPG's key players, Susanne and Alan Dennings. Alan is now Chairperson of the Management Committee and Susanne is project coordinator for the group. Since Ongerup is also the home of the Yongergnow Australian Malleefowl Centre, I also got to visit the Centre and to meet Khoma, the male Malleefowl resident at the Centre. And thanks to Susanne, I was also able to visit a Malleefowl mound and see several of these amazing birds in the wild. 
In addition to getting to know Alan and Susanne and enjoying their hospitality, I learned a great deal more about the MPG, its history and its current challenges. We actually spent time reviewing their strategic plan. Since the group has reached a new stage in its growth and at the same time is, like so many other organizations, being challenged for funding and for volunteers, we updated the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) table that they had created several years ago.
The Malleefowl, which looks like a large pheasant, does things very differently. Known as the
bird with the built-in thermometer, it can serve as a metaphor for a creative leader. In the
autumn, the male digs a deep hole. He and his mate fill it with leaf litter and then use soil
to build a large mound up to 22 meters in circumference. While the female is occupied with
laying eggs in the mound, the male is busy maintaining the mound's temperature at roughly
33 degrees C so that the eggs can incubate and hatch. He uses his beak to monitor the temperature in the mound. He adds or subtracts soil from the mound in order to maintain the right temperature.
Over the past several years I have contributed no less than 1% of the net profits from my consulting practice to preserve
this amazing animal and its habitat, because I believe that Malleefowl preservation is more
than saving one more unusual bird. It's about conserving the total biodiversity of our planet.
According to Susanne Dennings, Coordinator of the Malleefowl Preservation Group in Ongerup,
Western Australia, "we are a small band of wheat and sheep farmers who are concerned about
not just the Malleefowl but our own long term planning for more than just tomorrow!"
