The Tribune

By Yolanda Pawar

For me, the personal appeal of living and working on a Family Island has been the pristine beauty that permeates but also the refreshing, amplified energy you feel surrounded by and immersed in nature. With less disruption from human activity, urbanisation, and large-scale developments, Mother Nature resumes center stage. Once relocated to a less populated island, it is common for former city-dwellers to become blissfully aware of their place within a larger, teeming ecosystem of wonderous living things.

Birds sing loudly in morning symphonies, replacing blaring phone alarms. Cicadas create high-frequency soundtracks signaling summer and the availability of native fruits like mangoes, sapodillas, and sugar apples, which still grow in abundance. Also found in surprising abundance here are insects. Beyond the swarms of mosquitos and sandflies, there is a proliferation of insects that command your attention, including giant grasshoppers, mind-boggling stick insects, glow-in-the-dark click beetles, and my favorite of the pack, the inconspicuously bitty but mighty bee.

Observing this little powerhouse up close and personal provides relaxing, quiet time but can reveal many aspects of nature’s wisdom in action. These tiny pollinators are essential to our ecosystem and big players in ensuring biodiversity, but they also demonstrate simple yet practical lessons that can be gleaned from the hive. These valuable insights can also inspire personal and professional growth. With their intricate social structures and tireless work ethic, Bees offer a looking glass into their world of harmony, cooperation, and resilience. From loyalty and strong work ethics to teamwork and innovation, bees exemplify traits that can be adopted for greater success, collaboration, and sustainability.

Loyalty: A foundation for community success

Bees exhibit unwavering loyalty to their colony and respective roles. This trait is coded into their DNA. Each bee demonstrates dedication to the survival and prosperity of the hive as a whole, working tirelessly for the collective good. Every member plays their specific part, fostering a robust and unified community. In our own lives, cultivating loyalty to our teams, families, and organisations can create a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute by bringing their unique gifts to the forefront to be utilised for the greater good.

Work ethic: The power of diligence

In nature, honeybees are the epitome of hard work and diligence. A single bee may visit up to an estimated five thousand flowers daily, collecting nectar to make honey and pollen, an essential protein and food source for bee larvae. This tireless work ethic is crucial for the hive’s sustained success, and for the pollination of about one-third of the food, humans consume worldwide, including many fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Adopting a bee-like work ethic means staying focused, putting in consistent effort, and persevering through challenges. It can serve as a reminder that success is usually the result of sustained effort rather than short or inconsistent bursts.

Purpose: Driving force behind actions

Every bee in the hive has a distinct purpose, whether it’s the queen laying eggs and keeping the hive’s population intact, worker bees collecting nectar, or drones mating. This sense of purpose drives their actions and ultimately ensures the colony’s survival. Finding and embracing one’s own sense of purpose can be equally motivating. It can guide our actions and help us stay committed and focused on making a meaningful contribution while achieving our long-term goals.

Strategy: The importance of planning and communication

We can all agree that bees are master strategists and communicators. Through complex dances, bees convey information and share updates on food sources, dynamics within the hive, and potential threats. This strategic communication ensures the entire colony stays prepared, connected, and aware of impending threats and needs. For us, emulating this level of strategic communication and cohesiveness hinges on developing clear communication, effective communication channels, strategic planning skills, and the capacity to evaluate our environments and, in turn, create detailed plans to help mitigate disruptions and changing circumstances.

Team success: The collective triumph

The seamless teamwork of bees is a marvel to behold. Each bee knows its role and performs it with precision, contributing to the overall efficiency of the hive. Success is the result of a collective team effort 100 percent of the time. Bees operate with a shared purpose, whether foraging for food, caring for the young, or defending the hive. This collective approach ensures that the workload is shared and the hive thrives.

Similarly, prioritising collective success over individual gains or accolades in our teams, workplaces, and homes can lead to more significant achievements, enhanced security, and a more balanced and harmonious environment. Fostering an environment where everyone’s contributions are valued, and collaboration is encouraged and rewarded can lead to outstanding results. This level of cooperation is achieved, in part, by building trust and mutual respect within and among your community.

Innovation: Adapting and evolving

Bees are not just hardworking; they are also incredibly innovative. They adapt to their environment, develop efficient ways to collect nectar, and even create hexagonal honeycombs to maximise space and resources. They exemplify resilience and the spirit of innovation, essential in today’s competitive, fast-paced world. Learning from our bee community how to embrace change, seek out new solutions, and continuously improve processes can lead to sustained success, greater efficiency, and growth.

Service above self: Cultivating sustainable selflessness

To flip the script, there is a lesson that bees can give us in “what not to do”. When we talk about the principle of service over self, we are referring to the importance of putting the community’s or team’s needs above personal gain. This is not to be confused with sacrificing oneself by overworking, compromising your mental health and wellness, or depriving yourself of a reasonable work-life balance. Worker bees are known to sacrifice themselves to intruders to protect the hive and sometimes work themselves to death. Instead, we can foster a culture of sustainable selflessness through self-care and mutual support, where taking time for personal well-being is seen as essential to sustaining long-term service. Providing resources for mental health support and promoting work-life balance can help maintain the health and effectiveness of your team. While bees tirelessly work for the collective good, they also remind us of the importance of balance.

The function and nature of the hive is an enduring metaphor for how loyalty, work ethic, purpose, strategy, teamwork, and innovation can come together to promote sustainable success and greater impact. The lessons offered by our bee friends can be beneficial whether applied in the home, community, workplace, or local nonprofit organisation. By taking cues from these industrious, capable creatures, we can build ecosystems where collaboration, mutual respect, and innovation lead to individual fulfillment and collective success. As we apply these simple takeaways in our personal and professional lives, we can create intentional environments that are not only productive but also nurturing, resilient, and sustainable.