How to Survive a Lion Attack….at Work

Hopefully we all know never to get in a cage with a lion, or to stroll through an African safari in a lion’s territory. But what happens when a lion finds us and sees us as prey?

While researching some information recently, I came across a video on how to survive an attack by a lion. Curious, I stopped to view it and was struck by the advice that the normal reactionary “fight or flight” response was useless. A human is nowhere near strong enough to fight a lion, nor able to outrun one. Lions can climb trees faster than us, and literally smell our fear.

The advice instead centered on new ways of looking at the problem. In short, knowing how to read the lion’s behavior to determine its intent, using your body language to minimize being considered a threat, how to intimidate the lion and protect yourself. These are the best possible alternatives for people who find themselves in the crosshairs of a wild and powerful animal.

A Lion for Every Leader

Lions exist metaphorically in many spaces. Some people confront lions every day, at work. You may have been appointed to a senior role in your organization, holding a significant level of authority, but even for you, lions are waiting to attack. The lion shows up as:

  • A president who wants to ignore corporate policies and financial controls.
  • Toxic executive committee dynamics where the group looks for the weakest link to blame a failed initiative on.
  • The bully colleague who berates others to make them look good.
  • The opinionated client who contributes to a significant portion of the bottom line.
  • The major shareholder who isn’t in touch with the realities of running the business

They are people who wield their greater power and influence over others, who imagine themselves as the “king of the jungle” so to speak. And when you’re not in a position to “tame” that person, how do you handle them?

The Flight Response
When we’re under the gaze of a prowling lion in our organization, our flight response may manifest as lack of confidence. This inhibits our ability to perform our best work, provide our best ideas, and collaborate with others. We may be perceived as the easiest target in the room. Our performance suffers, and those around us can feel it. If nothing happens to change the situation, we may end up moving to a different area of the company or leaving it altogether.

The Fight Response
Our fight response can manifest as the workplace spat, sparring publicly with a more powerful person in a battle you’ll never win. Appearing combative can trigger a greater negative reaction from the “lion,” that can lead to your organizational demise.

The Survival Response
This isn’t about making friends with the lion; it’s about surviving the lion.

  1. Stay calm – We can think better when we’re not in a panic or emotionally distraught. Recognize that the initial threat or trigger (a negative comment, a bad decision, a menacing look) will generate an immediate psychological response from you, but that’s not always the best moment to react. Give yourself a moment to calm down until you can think more rationally.
  2. Don’t pose a threat to them – Everyone knows what happens when you poke a lion, so just don’t do it. If this person is way more powerful than you, there’s no benefit from it, even if you’re right. Don’t confront them. If you need to communicate a difficult message, sometimes a private dialogue will work better than one in front of an audience.
  3. Appear intimidating – If the lion does recognize your presence, now’s the time to look bigger than you may be. Use your body language to convey confidence, authority, competence, and strength. If the lion directs their ire at you, don’t flinch.
  4. Protect your neck – Lions always go for the neck to suffocate their prey. Your “neck” may represent your emotional, physical, and psychological health. Find a supportive mentor, a therapist, or a coach who can help you identify the right strategies and options for your professional future.

Naturally, we all want to call the lion out and remove the person from the workplace. But organizational relationships, politics and priorities are far more complex. It may take time for the right leaders to recognize and address the damage the lion is creating within the company. Or maybe the owner is the problem. Meanwhile, you must survive day by day, until you can begin to thrive again.

Each one of us will have to survive lions at different times in our careers. And as tough as it is, it also helps us to recognize our own strength.

How are you surviving your lion?

Copyright 2023 Priscilla Archangel

Image by Three-Shots from Pixabay