Spring is here in Denver and I personally have been enjoying the earlier sunrises and warm weather.  This past weekend we swept and cleaned off the patio to get ready for grilling and dinners outside.  The next day however, it was covered in grass, twigs and other debris.  The culprit - a pair of house finch birds building a nest under our awning.  What started as annoyance and frustration turned into curiosity and awe as I looked closer at what was happening.  It was pretty remarkable how much they were able to accomplish in just a few days and it inspired this week’s MIBE message about leadership lessons from bird’s nests.

Birds are very resourceful in nest building.  They utilize materials in the surrounding area to form their structure.  When I looked closely at the nest on our patio, I saw pieces of rubber, feathers, and pieces of trash in addition to the traditional twigs and grass you would expect.  As leaders we don’t always have the luxury to go out and purchase new supplies.  Sometimes we have to get creative and find new uses for the resources we already have.

There are many different styles of nests. Barn Swallow use mud to build their nests, while Bluebirds don’t use soil at all.  There are hanging nests, floating nests and underground nests that make sense for different types of birds and different environments.  The one size fits all approach doesn’t work in business either.  There are a variety of ways to do the same thing and it’s important for organizations to identify solutions that work best for them.

Nest building is a learned skill.  It is not something that birds are born with the ability to do.  They observe others and get better over time with practice.  Leadership, is also a skill that is learned over time.  By taking stock of what other great leaders do and practicing it ourselves,  we can improve our abilities.

On their own, sticks, grass and debris aren’t very strong.  When you look closely at a nest, you can see that they are not just piled on top of each other, they are actually meticulously woven together to form a sturdy structure that can support a place for the birds to lay and incubate their eggs.  Individuals can’t support an entire organization on their own.  When people are intwined with one another and working cohesively as a team, they function similar to a nest, creating a safe place for organizations and the people within them to thrive.

The light weight, yet sturdy strength of a bird’s nest is a marvel in engineering.  And it also provides us with some leadership inspiration.  Resourcefulness, practice, forming a cohesive team and utilizing the right solution for the right situation are great virtues exhibit as leaders.  As you hear the birds chirping this spring, and maybe find a nest nearby I hope you can overlook the mess that it creates and appreciate what our feathered friends are capable of.