[Parenting lessons]
In the wilderness, every tiger encounter is unforgettable—a mix of awe, intimacy, and raw power.
Looking back at my archives of these moments, I realised they offered more than memories of the wild. They revealed a living metaphor for leadership.
Just as tiger cubs stumble, spar, and grow into solitary rulers of the forest, leaders too evolve in stages—from nurtured novices to independent voices, from stewards of culture to visionaries of legacy.
Nurture and Curiosity: The First Threshold
Cubs tumble in the grass, tugging at each other’s tails, their mother watching patiently from a few steps away. These early days are not about survival or dominance, but about curiosity, play, and the small failures from which strength slowly grows.
[Cubs at play]
In leadership, this mirrors the moment when individuals first step into responsibility. They need scaffolding and a safe space to try, fail, and learn—without fear of being devoured by mistakes. Just as the tigress lets her cubs wander and wobble but not be harmed, mentors must offer assurance without smothering initiative.
The Tata Management Training Centre (TMTC), Tata Administrative Services (TAS), the erstwhile Gulita—the HUL management trainee facility on Worli Seaface in Mumbai—and Unilever’s Four Acres campus programmes were all legendary.
These programmes are rare sanctuaries in the corporate jungle, where young recruits can explore, experiment, and even stumble before facing the full heat of delivery. This early period of nurtured curiosity often determines whether they merely survive or truly thrive.
Playful Rivalries: Learning with Equals
As cubs grow, their play becomes rougher. What looks like harmless games are rehearsals for strength. They chase, pounce, swipe, and retreat. Claws are half-sheathed, but the force is real.
[Serious play]
In leadership cohorts, this is the stage where peers sharpen one another. Safe rivalry builds resilience. Competition moves beyond mimicry to help individuals discover their personal edges.
Friction, laughter, and even minor clashes forge trust and strength.
[A tigress leads her cubs]
Mentors remain vital here. The tigress guides with subtle signals—even the white marks on her ears help direct the cubs. Similarly, mentors guide from just ahead, allowing learners to find their own rhythm.
Testing Strength: The Threshold of Friction
At some point, the scrapping turns serious. Two cubs lock eyes, circle, and clash with surprising force. This is no longer play; it is preparation for the solitary life that awaits.
[Jostling for position]
For leaders, this is the moment when dissent and competitive assertion become unavoidable. A well-designed programme provides boundaries so that friction sharpens without destroying. Leaders learn to argue fiercely yet preserve relationships—to disagree without disengaging.
[Preparing for a leap]
This stage transforms raw potential into resilience. Without it, leaders remain tame and untested.
Stepping Out: Early Independence
The day comes when subadult siblings hover at the forest’s edge. The tigress drifts further away. They circle back to one another, hesitant, but the call of independence is unmistakable.
[Subadult siblings]
For leaders, this is when they begin to act without constant reference to mentors or peers. They take on assignments alone and discover both the thrill and fear of standing on their own paws.
Independence is not the absence of fear but the courage to move despite it.
Claiming Ground: The Emerging Leader
One day, the forest witnesses a change. The young tiger no longer trails anyone. With shoulders squared and stride purposeful, it patrols, scent-marks, and claims. Territory is not inherited; it is earned.
[Claiming space]
Emerging leaders, too, must move beyond being part of the cohort. They must define their own ground—their unique voice and judgment.
The challenge lies in claiming space without arrogance, balancing ambition with responsibility.
Stewardship: Maturity and Responsibility
[A custodian of her territory]
Under the shade of a great banyan tree, the tigress now stands powerful yet steady. She is no longer a restless subadult but custodian of her territory and lineage.
At this stage, leadership shifts from self to system, from ambition to guardianship.
Mature leaders become custodians of culture and continuity. They do not merely occupy ground; they hold it in trust for others.
Stewardship is less about the roar and more about presence—a steady strength that reassures and protects.
Vision and Legacy: The Climb Beyond
[A leader’s gaze stretches beyond the horizon]
High on a rocky outcrop, the tigress gazes into the distance. She has climbed her own mountain and now sees the forest in its wholeness.
This is the leader’s final threshold—to seek perspective and vision. Even in maturity, true leaders continue to stretch, to climb, to aspire.
Legacy is not just what is left behind. It is also the courage to keep looking ahead, showing others that growth never ends.
My Doodling Take
From tumbling cubs to a tigress on the rocks, the wilderness offers more than beauty—it offers a mirror.
Leadership development, especially in cohorts, follows this natural arc: dependence, rivalry, independence, stewardship, vision. What matters is not the linear path, but the imprint of each stage.
Cohorts shape one another, just as siblings shape a young tiger’s stride.
And in the end, like the tigress at the summit, every leader must keep climbing—for themselves, and for those who will follow.
Dig Deeper
Reconnecting with the outdoors: The joy of being in nature and a journey of discovery—of a world outside and within. Plus 5 of my favourite places to experience Earth’s remarkable landscape | By Ashok Nair
Discover the joys of birdwatching: Birdwatching has become immensely popular during the pandemic. Here’s a beginner’s guide on how to turn it into a lifelong hobby | By Ramki Sreenivasan
