Flying Geese

The flying geese model was first introduced by Kaname Akamatsu in the 1930s. It was a model that emphasize the views of nations as teachers and learners, where as most advanced nations will help other nations cath-up to them. This analogy can be used in a different context. For example, lessons of leadership can be learned such as the following: "People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another." Overall, The analogy is that the leader is in the front forging a path to a desired destination. The lead goose also cuts through air, which makes flying easier for the geese that follow. This act makes the followers’ job of flying easier. Of course, the lead goose doesn’t ask for or expect praise for making the others’ jobs easier as explained by David A. Timpe, C.P.A. Many more lessons learned from the geese analogy can be found in the website below.

http://www.hfma.org/chapter_resources/nationalnotes/Mar08/CAT.htm

http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2006/07/18/leadership-lessons-from-geese/

http://app.cul.columbia.edu:8080/ac/bitstream/10022/AC:P:291/1/fulltext.pdf