Leadership Lessons From the Wild

Axel Rittershaus, a renowned leadership expert and entrepreneur, draws inspiration from unexpected sources: the African savanna. Years of observing wildlife on safari have profoundly shaped his understanding of effective leadership, principles he now applies to the modern workplace, particularly in the face of the AI revolution. For Axel who has spent nearly two decades observing wildlife behavior, these natural demonstrations of effective leadership offer invaluable insights for today’s always-changing business landscape.  

Recently, Axel gave us a peek into his career background, vision for thriving in the age of AI,  and the unexpected places he finds inspiration for helping develop leaders. 

Finding inspiration on safari

As Axel sees it, if you pay close attention to the lives of animals in their natural habitats, you’ll witness some of the most profound lessons about leadership play out daily. “In wildlife, the leaders lead quietly,” Axel explains, drawing from his extensive safari experience since 2005. “They don’t yell or boss others around. If someone isn’t a good leader, they get replaced quickly because the survival of the entire group depends on effective leadership.” This observation carries a powerful message for organizations: leadership isn’t about authority or control, but about enabling collective success.

Axel likes to reference the hunting success of African wild dogs as a lesson in leadership. With an astounding 80% success rate in their hunts, they’re the most successful hunters in the animal kingdom. Their secret? A leadership style that emphasizes shared responsibility and perfect alignment. “Even though there’s an alpha couple leading the pack,” Axel notes, “they aren’t telling the others to hunt a specific animal. The pack shares the responsibility for the hunt.” 

Any member can identify a potential prey, and the entire pack will commit to that decision. In their style of collaboration, each animal uses their strengths to influence a positive outcome. If some dogs are better at sprinting, the ones with more endurance will step in towards the end of the hunt. There are no management meetings before they hunt — they simply act with complete focus and alignment.

One of the most striking parallels between wildlife and effective leadership, Axel notes, comes from a simple observation: animals in social groups never fail to acknowledge each other when meeting. “Watch any pack of wild dogs,” Axel says. “They always greet each other, constantly building and reinforcing their bonds. It’s similar to how sports teams celebrate every point scored — it’s about continuous connection and relationship building.”

This insight is particularly relevant in today’s increasingly virtual work environment. As hybrid work becomes the norm and AI-powered tools become team members, leaders must put even more emphasis on balancing technology-driven processes with human connections and building relationships to strengthen their teams.

Navigating the AI revolution

Before moving into the world of leadership development and executive coaching, Axel worked in computer science and mathematics. This experience in the tech industry helps him to have a nuanced view of the current AI revolution, which is impacting leaders who might not even consider themselves tech-minded. Axel recognizes that while AI isn’t new, its current evolution presents both challenges and unprecedented opportunities for leaders.

The growth of generative AI is shaking the self-confidence of many leaders, especially in middle management, Axel finds. “They’re scared their jobs will no longer be relevant…But it’s a huge opportunity for good leaders to help their teams get rid of all of their boring and frustrating work by leveraging AI.” If leaders embrace GenAI and help their teams use it to increase productivity and complete tedious tasks, they can spend more time on work that requires the human touch — whether it be taking care of customers or building new products. 

Axel’s leadership vision: natural wisdom meets modern adaptations

As organizations integrate AI into their operations, Axel advocates for a leadership paradigm that combines the wisdom of nature with the opportunities of modern technology. The key is to create environments where:

• Teams can operate with shared responsibility and natural alignment
• AI augments human capabilities rather than replacing them
• Leaders focus on fostering meaningful work and innovation
• Continuous learning and adaptation become second nature
• Human connections remain at the heart of organizational success

The future of leadership isn’t about choosing between human skills or AI capabilities. Rather, to borrow from Axel’s vision, it’s about creating an ecosystem where both have value and can thrive together. Take inspiration from unexpected sources — like the natural world — to create teams whose success comes from its expertise in new skills like AI, as well as collaboration, respect, and alignment. 

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