The story of the tortoise and the hare has stood the test of time. The tale can be traced back to the Greek storyteller Aesop (620-564 BCE) who wrote this piece as part of a collection of short stories we know as ‘Aesops fables’.

In the famous tale the speedy hare races against the slow-moving tortoise. In the early stages of the race, the hare leaves the tortoise in his wake, taking a significant lead. However, at the midway stage, his over-confident nature leads him to believe he can take a nap and still easily win.

On awaking, hare realises he’s forgotten to set an alarm, overslept, and been overtaken by his shelled competitor. Unable to recover he is left embarrassed and ashamed as the tortoise crosses the finish line to claim victory.

The moral lesson of the story…

We can be more successful by doing things slowly and steadily than by acting quickly and carelessly.

At times earlier in my own life I’ve been guilty of coming out of the gate too fast with new projects. With excitement follows over-confidence, leading to lacklustre execution and a disappointing outcome.

However is the moral of this Aesop fable the golden ticket?

To simply take our time and plod our way slowly and laboriously to glory?

What if there was another way?

What if a hippo had been in town, entered the race, and appeared at the starting grid?

Yes, the hare would still take an early lead, but hippo (capable of speeds of 30/40km/h) would still have had him in his sights.

Hippo would then stop to observe the hare taking his nap from a distance. Once he was in a deep sleep he would then quietly slip past and motor on to claim race victory by a country mile. Tortoise would then trundle in for second place, with hare facing even greater embarrassment, stumbling over the line in third.

And…what about unpredictable events that could show up in the race?

What if a grizzly bear wanders onto the track and decides it’s dinner time?!

The tortoise may be able to disappear into his shell, but he has to reappear at some point, and when he eventually does he's a goner. Hare might be able to stay out of range for a round or two, but eventually, he’d be cornered and easily overwhelmed. Then hippo, who just so happens to be the most dangerous mammal in Africa. With a 6cm thick skin, a bite force 300% of that of a lion, and weighing 3 times more. Bear could give it his best shot but frankly doesn’t stand a chance.

What if a bridge over one of the rivers that were part of the racecourse was out of order?!

The hare would be stuck, losing precious time trying to secure some other means of crossing. Tortoise would plop into the water and slowly paddle over to the other side. But what about Hippo? Able to hold his breath for up to 5 minutes and swim speeds of up to 8 km/h he would be in and across in no time. The hippo can even nap underwater if he likes, using a biological reflex that allows him to bob up, take a breath, and sink back down without waking up.

What if there was a forest fire the day before the race with all the grass, leaves, and trees destroyed?!

No energy-boosting snacks on route for tortoise or hare. But hippo? Although typically herbivore hippos have been known to turn carnivore and eat other animals when required. In the case of a forest fire, the hippo simply turns carnivore, goes hunting, and secures himself the benefits of an energising protein-rich, mid-race snack.

The hippo not only wins but win’s regardless of unforeseen race obstacles.

The moral of this revised story…

We can be most successful by maintaining a steady pace, pausing when required, and being versatile.

When beginning a new project it can help to get going at a steady pace. By moving forward in this way we generate useful feedback quicker and can ‘improve on the move’.

Where possible it is important to pause and break at points to review progress. Keeping an eye on, and learning from the competition when we do so.

It is key to utilise various talents to overcome the inevitable challenges that come our way. To be adaptable and innovative.

In summary.

When it comes to new or current goals, work some ‘hippo-ness’ into your approach,

Our propensity for success and a shortening of the time it takes to get there increases significantly when we do :-)

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