The Hairy frogfish- Patience and Positioning
I love the weird and wonderful marine creatures, and the hairy frogfish is one of my favourites. Masters of disguise, they are virtually indistinguishable from the sponges, algae or coral they inhabit. Covered in hairlike appendages called spinules, frogfish can even change colour over several weeks to perfectly match their surroundings. They can be red, yellow, orange, brown or black depending on what provides the best camouflage.
Their most remarkable feature is a modified dorsal spine that acts as a fishing lure. This small worm like appendage, called an esca, is wiggled enticingly in front of their enormous mouths. When unsuspecting prey investigates, the frogfish strikes. Their attack is one of the fastest feeding strikes in the animal kingdom, taking just six milliseconds, faster than the human eye can follow.
Frogfish do not swim conventionally. Instead, they “walk” along the seafloor using their pectoral fins like legs or jet propel themselves by gulping water and expelling it through their gills. They are ambush predators who can remain motionless for hours or even days, demonstrating that patience and perfect positioning are often more effective than constant activity.
💡 What we can learn:
The hairy frogfish reminds us that patience and positioning often beat constant chasing. In business, the smartest strategy is not always relentless hustle. By strategically positioning yourself, being patient and making your value so attractive, the right customers and opportunities will come to you.
What “lure” could you create to attract the right opportunities to you?
#FishyFriday #LearningFromNature #LeadershipLessons #StrategicThinking #PatiencePays
With the help of my brilliant friend and colleague Allison Ross, AI-Powered Learning & Transformation Architect (aka the Geek Goddess), I’ve created a short quiz to reveal your inner marine creature.
Give it a try here Which Marine Creature do you embody?