Run to the Roar

The roar of a mature lion can be both exhilarating and unnerving. It’s hard to believe how loud the roar can be, often reaching more than 115 decibels. That’s almost as loud as a serious rock concert.

This roar is essential for hunting success, but not in the way we might think. When lions get old and lose their teeth, they can still roar but are no longer able to hunt and attack. Ironically, they become the prize of the pride. You see, the pride positions an old lion strategically near prey and waits for them to roar. The roar scares the prey toward younger lions who are set to devour them. Fascinatingly, the younger lions don’t roar at all. They just attack. 

What should we make of the roar? The roar, like so many other things in life, feigns a threat that is not the real issue. The roar is never as bad as we think it is, but we run away from it nonetheless. When we respond to the noise and fear, rather than the problem they represent, we risk allowing the fear to control us, often with devastating results. The courageous leader confronts the roar associated with a problem and avoids being devoured by the fear it creates.  

“Run to the roar” is a popular adage that means to go at the problem and not away from the noise. Do you run toward problems or away from the discomfort they create? Running toward problems is a sign of great leadership. When we confront a problem head-on, we reduce its size, reach, and power. After all, running away from a problem may look smart, but the problem doesn’t go away. Most problems don’t age well. They just get uglier in their complexity and consequence. It’s time to run to the roar and dismantle problems from the outset. As a leader, you’ll be happy you did.