As each
bird flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the bord following. By flying in a
V formation, the whole flock adds 71% more
flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: people who share a common
direction and a sense of community can get where they are going
quicker because they are traveling on the the thrust of one another.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and
resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the "lifting power" of the bird immediatly in front.
Lesson: it pays to take turns doing hard tasks, and sharing leadership-for people, as with geese, are
interpendent with each other.
The geese in formation
honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson: we need to be sure that honking from behind is encouraging and
constructive in nature - not something less helpful.
When a goose gets sick or
wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly again or dies. Them they
launch out to find another formation or catch up with their flock.
Lesson: if we have as much sense as the geese do, we'll stand by
each other.
**For more lessons from animals see
The Animal School Fable and
The Blind Men and the Elephant