Leadership Mini Series (Part 2) : The V-Formation

contributed by Lawrence Quek, AS-MS Team

It is not what we are, but what and how we do to impress others through our actions and words. Our actions speak louder than our words. As leaders, we need to walk the talk as a team. It is our attitude and actions that determine the success of our organisations in today global ecomony.

Have you ever heard of the canadian geese that fly in the V-Formation ?
Have you ever wonder why they are flying in the V-Formation ?
Is there anything to do with leadership style ?

In any Toastmasters Club Executive Committee, there are 8 roles that require 8 persons to perform. It is very important that every individual performs their roles, and hit the club target. Sometimes, I need to learn the other officers roles, and help them at the same time. It doesn't matters which roles we are playing, we can learn the roles of our own colleague, and perform our role at the same time.

I recall holding seven Executive Committee (partial roles) during my term in Whampoa Toastmasters Club from 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005. I was the Charter President, and had a heavy responsibilities of leading the team of officers to help the club to achieve President Distinguished Club status, the highest status a club can achieve, and recognise by Toastmasters International.

On top of perform my own roles, I had to take up partial roles of other club officers in my team. With determination, we strived together and we reached our destination together achieving President Distinguished Club status on 30 June 2005.

How does the V-Formation works ?
A V-Formation (sometimes called a skein) is the symmetric V-shaped flight formation of flights of geese, ducks and other migratory birds.

Flying in a V formation aids the birds in covering long distances efficiently. All birds except the leader are flying in the upwash from the wingtop vortices of the bird ahead. A little upwash assists the bird to support its own weight in flight in the same way as a glider can climb, or maintain height indefinitely, in rising air. Energy efficiency can be as much as doubled by flying in a V-formation. The birds flying at the tips and at the front are rotated in a timely cyclical fashion so as to spread flight fatigue equally among the flock members. The formation also facilitates communication and allows the birds to maintain visual contact with each other.

This scenario is applicable to all type of organisations. One officer lead the way while the rest of the officers observe around and provide feedbacks to the leading officer. This continue till the team hit the targets, and achieve the organisation goals (especially the long term goals)

The benefits : We work and learn as a team, just like the canadian geese. We benefit from each other's hardwork and contribution through walking the journey together as a team, and help each other throughout the journey. Together, Each of us can Achieve More (TEAM)