Surviving your Serengeti: 7 Skills to Master Business and Life

INTRODUCTION

During my formative years in Africa, I developed deep feelings for the surrounding nature and wildlife; they became a part of me, and I of them. But as I became an adult and turned my attention to the world of business, I left Africa and the Serengeti behind to immigrate to America.

It was not until a recent visit to the Serengeti Plains of East Africa that I reconnected with this unique refuge. Simply put, it is the last sanctuary for the greatest concentration of wildlife remaining on earth.

Nearly two million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles annually run a 1,000-mile journey filled with hunger, thirst, predators, and exhaustion. The journey is so incomparably dangerous and massive that it is often rated the number one natural wonder of the world.

For me, this journey is a parable for success. It' s a window into the very meaning of life that provides a simple way to understand, appreciate, and remember the basic skills that all living beings need to survive and thrive.

For most of us, the world we live in today is, of course, a far cry from the Serengeti. Television, the Internet, mobile media, fast food, and many more innovations comprise a society dominated by a demand for speed, comfort, and instant gratification. We continue to advance technology, only to find ourselves spinning through one "solution" after the other. We face global financial and economic challenges that stretch our resources and shape our professional and personal lives as never before.

The obstacles ...