THE LIFE OF THE LION:

FIVE LESSONS LEADERS

CAN LEARN FROM LIONS
Gallery Posted on July 18, 2013

27 Votes

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see a Lion or hear about
one? Is it its strength? Is it its fierceness and its boldness? Is it is regal, majestic
bearing? Or is it its magnificent appearance? Whatever it is you know about the
Lion, you will still have to agree that it is a special animal, in fact it is so special
that it is referred to as the King of the Jungle (even though it is mostly found in
grasslands). The Lion as an animal is one that every leader and aspiring leader
should strive to learn from. For that reason we have selected five facts about lions
and the lessons you can learn from them.

FACT: A Lions roar can be heard from five miles away:

LESSON: Make yourself heard

A famous author once said You may have a heart of gold, but then so does a
hardboiled egg. You may have good intentions in mind, but if you dont say them
out, nobody will know how noble they are. There are plenty of animals that are
bigger and stronger and have more stamina than the Lion, there are animals that are
faster, there are animals that are even better hunters, but what makes the Lion
arguably the most fearsome animal to walk the earth is its voice, its voice is its
reputation. Many of us never met Albert Einstein, but we all have knowledge of
him because he had something to say and he said it. Many of us never met people
like Adolf Hitler or Mother Theresa of Calcutta, but we know about them because
they had statements to make and they made those statements. It is important for
you to know that the statement you make is not just about what you say, the things
you do and your character is part of what make your reputation. The Lion knows
that its roar precedes it everywhere it goes, that is why it is the epitome of
boldness. If you develop your reputation properly, your boldness will increase as
well Never make the mistake of believing that your friends, or siblings or
neighbours or co-workers should be able to read your mind. Remember what Jesus
Christ himself said in Matthew 7:7: Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. There is nothing to be gained
from keeping to yourself, express yourself, if you know you are not extroverted,
you can write. If you know you have a talent or a gift, use it. Go out and make
friends, a recluse is of no use to anyone. As the popular maxim goes unless the
tortoise sticks its head out of its shell it cannot go anywhere

FACT: Lions Are Very Social Animals; They Form Groups Called Prides
With Sometimes As Many As Forty Individuals In a Pride:

LESSON: Interact With Others So That You Can Get Better

Robert Greenes eighteenth law of power says: Do not build fortresses to protect
yourself isolation is dangerous. Many people believe that life is a road that
must be travelled alone and that the task of leadership is a burden that cannot be
shared. While these assertions are true to some extent, we all still have to recognize
that there is a reason that we have family members, friends, co-workers, bosses,
mentors followers or even employees. They are not just there because they are our
blood or they have something to gain from us, they are there to rejoice with us in
happy moments, to share sorrows with, to impart knowledge to us and to help us in
our travels on the highway of life. One fascinating thing about a pride of lions is
that other females are always ready to help a female babysit her cubs when she
goes hunting. We should recognize that the reason why the sea is so big is that it
has many small rivers, streams, and rivulets feeding it. The leader should recognize
himself as a river feeding others and being fed by others in turn. A river which
isolates itself, which feeds nothing and which nothing feeds will sooner or later
start to stink or dry up. Remember the popular acronym TEAM (Together
Everyone Achieves More).

FACT: A Lion can Spend up to 20 Hours a Day Sleeping:

LESSON: There Is a Difference between a Leader and a Slave, Find Time to

Relax

The temptation to work and work until one collapses from sheer exhaustion has
never been greater than it is in our current society. Every day we wake up, there
are always targets to meet, meetings to participate in, dates to keep and objectives
to realize. As a result we are tempted to work and work as slaves, we give
ourselves freely to our activities and to people around us, yet we fail to realize that
we need time for ourselves, we are constantly burnt out and worn out yet we do not
see the need to relax. And so we slave our lives away like worker bees and do not
enjoy the short time we have to live. Learn from the Lion who knows that every
day it must eat, yet still sleeps for more than half the day. In spite of this perceived
irresponsibility, the Lion never goes hungry. The irony of work is that it never
finishes, the more you do, the more you still have to do. French playwright Moliere
says: Our minds need relaxation, and give way, unless we mix with work, a little
play. In the insect kingdom workers are the ones that have nothing else to do but
work, one of the marks of a leader is that he does not soil his hands with work
meant for his followers. If you want to have an enjoyable life, learn to not let
activity dominate your life. Find time to relax

FACT: Lions rarely eat entire prey, they usually leave leftovers for other
animals like hyenas AND vultures:

LESSON: the ability to share is the hallmark of a leader

When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.

Magnanimity is one of the attributes that defines a man as a true leader. Every
leader has people following him and it is the duty of that leader to ensure that those
followers get a fair distribution of every benefit that accrues to the organization.
Being a leader is not just the ability to give commands or share out work, it is also
the ability to motivate. There is nothing that can motivate like reward and
incentive, a true leader does not hold these things back. Learn from the popular
Yoruba proverb which says the old man that eats without consideration for the
people around him, will carry his load home by himself. If you want to be
respected you must learn to give freely of yourself to others. It is hard to imagine
that the Lion in spite of its voracious appetite, and the amount of food needed to
satisfy its massive body needs, is still considerate enough to leave leftovers for
carrion eaters. There is no level of need that should prevent you from giving to
others. Jack London gives us an advice: A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity
is a bone shared with the dog when you are just as hungry as the dog.

FACT: Male Lions defend the prides territory while females go to hunt.
Despite this the male gets to eat first

LESSON: Learn how to delegate responsibility

This writer is among the group of people who believe that there is a reason why
human beings have only two hands and two legs. There is also a reason why
humans have manpower and not horsepower, and there is also a reason why human
beings do not have the ability to teleport. Unless you have an ability to split
yourself like that character in the X-men, you have to accept that you cannot do
everything or be everywhere at the same time. Even if you are Man of Steel,
there are not enough hours in the day to do everything that should be done.
Therefore you have to learn to give some tasks for others to do. Some people are
staunch believers in the maxim if you want anything to be done right, you have to
do it yourself. Unfortunately taking this maxim too literally is sure way to
burnout, exhaustion, high blood pressure and nervous breakdown. One interesting
fact is that despite the fact that the female makes the kill she brings it for the male
to eat first. What we can all learn from this is that giving a task to somebody else
to do for you doesnt mean you are giving them room to undermine your authority,
it means you recognize that persons ability and skills and you recognize such a
person as useful and important to the organization. If the project is successful it is
still the leader that gets most of the credit, so a true leader should not be paranoid
about sharing duties out. One thing we should take note of is that the Lion does not
roll over and go to sleep when its mate goes to hunt, it has work that it also does.
Do not give all your work out and then laze about all day. That is not delegation of
duty, that is laziness and such an action leads to lack of respect from your
followers. Do not be like the blacksmith who had too many irons in the fire and did
not know which one to work on first. As the saying goes, if you run after two rats
at once, you will surely miss both.

Three Characteristics of a Lion Chaser

As Ive watched the global events of the last couple of years unfold, Ive
become more convinced than ever that we must raise up a generation of
Godly leaders for our nation. Your children and mine are living in a time
when European socialism is praised and traditional family values are
scorned. The faith of our Founding Fathers is considered fictitious by the
cultural elite and many of those who walk the halls of Congress appear
quick to praise the Occupy Wall Street Movement and slow to provide relief
to small businesses who are struggling under the weight of excessive
regulation and needless taxation.
In the midst of my cultural vexation, Pastor Mark Batterson reacquainted
me with a Biblical hero whose story is often overlooked. His name is
Benaiah and we learn about him in II Samuel 23:20-23:
20 Benaiah was a valiant man who had done many deeds. He killed two
lion-like heroes of Moab. He also killed a lion down in a pit on a snowy day.
21 And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear
in his hand and Benaiah only had a staff. But he wrestled the spear out of
the Egyptians hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 He did these
things and won a name among three mighty men. 23 And David appointed
him over his guard.
Last week I spoke to our faculty and staff at The First Academy and
challenged them with this idea our calling is to teach and train Lion
Chasers. As I read the story of Benaiah, I discovered that there were three
distinguishing characteristics that set him apart. We want to join you in
cultivating and nurturing these beliefs in the life of each child at TFA.
First, Lion Chasers believe they can beat the odds. Benaiah was up against
serious odds, but the Bible tells us that he killed a lion in a pit on a snowy
day. This type of confidence is built into the lives of our children when they
understand that they serve a BIG God one who created and sustains all
that is and is to come. This type of confidence is built into the lives of our
children when we teach them that this BIG God loves them personally so
much in fact that He died on the cross for their sins and has prepared a
home for them in Heaven (John 3:16).
Second, Lion Chasers believe they can face their fears. Benaiah faced a
fearful situation with only a wooden staff in his hand. The Bible tells us that
his opponent had a spear, but through the power of God he wrestled the
Egyptians spear from him and killed him with his own weapon. When I talk
with our students at TFA, I find that they have two significant fears the
fear of failure and the fear of being alone. We can teach our children to
face their fears by sharing with them the wonder of Grace through Gods
Grace we learn that our flaws are not fatal and that our failures are not
final. We can teach our children to face their fears by reminding them that
they are never alone Romans 8 tells us that there is nothing we can do to
separate ourselves from the love of God.
Third, Lion Chasers believe they have a divine purpose. God was building
Benaiahs resume all along the way. At just the right time, a God-appointed
moment, Benaiah was introduced to a prospective employer named King
David. Amazingly they discovered that they had much in common. David
killed a lion and Benaiah killed a lion. David killed a Philistine warrior and
Benaiah killed an Egyptian warrior. David saw the handprint of God on the
life of this young man and made him his chief body guard. Our children will
fully understand their divine calling when they hear us talk about the truths
found in Psalm 139. This passage teaches us that God had a plan for our
life before we were born. Our children will fully understand their divine
calling when they hear us talk about the great Cloud of Witness in
Hebrews 11 and 12 those who have gone before us and paved the way
for us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.
The name Benaiah is a combination of two words a derivation of Yahweh
and Bana His name literally means Built by God. Thank you for giving
us the privilege of partnering with you in raising a generation of young
people whose hearts, minds and souls are crafted by the Maker of the
Universe. Let me encourage you to share this story with your children as
we begin the new school year.

92 Roaring Facts about Lions

o thousand years ago, over a million lions roamed throughout regions that covered Europe,
Syria, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and India. In the 1940s, lions numbered 450,000. Today,
there are as few as 32,000 on Earth.[9]
Aslan is the Turkish and Mongolian word for lion. It is also the name of the lion in C. S.
Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia.[19]
Lions are the second largest of the big cats, after tigers.[17]
The darker a male lions mane is, the older he is.[8]
Female lions prefer to mate with males that have the longest and darkest manes.[3]
Unlike most other cats, lions are great swimmers.n[14]

Lions eat about 18 pounds of meat per day. That would be like a human eating more than
70 hamburgers.[3]
The lion is the only member of the cat family that has a tasseled tail. The tassel doesnt just
look good, it also relays messages such as come this way. A tassel first appears when a lion
is 57 months old.[14]
Only about 1 in 8 male lions survive to adulthood. A majority of lions die shortly after
being kicked out of their pride around the age of 2.[3]
When taking over a new territory and pride, some male lions will form a coalition, or a
group of 3 or 4 males. They will fight the resident male lion, often to the death, and kill all
his cubs.[9]
In 2002, much to the surprise of conservationists, a lioness adopted and protected a baby
antelope. However, two weeks later, a male lion ate the baby while the lioness slept. The
lioness appeared to be stricken with grief and walked around roaring in anger.[11]
As tiger bones are becoming scarcer, poachers are turning toward lion bones to supply the
intense demands of traditional medicine in Asia.[5]
Trophy hunting is devastating for lions for several reasons. First, when an adult male (the
most sought-after trophy) is killed, his death destabilizes and may destroy an entire pride.
Second, it wipes out the genes of the largest and most healthy males.[6]
A male lion can stretch up to 10 feet long and weigh 400500 pounds, about the same as
eight or nine small children or over 50 pet cats. Females typically weigh 250350 pounds.[1]
Although the lion is known as the king of the jungle, lions do not live in jungles. They
live only in grasslands and plains.

In Friedrich Nietzsches Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the lion symbolizes someone who has
rebelled against traditional knowledge to create a new morality, which is known as the
morality of the bermensch.[8]
Just a century ago, there were over 200,000 lions living in Africa. Today, there are only
15,00032,000 left.[9]
 Lions can run up to 50 mph, but only in a straight line and only for a few seconds at a time.
Consequently, lions get as close as they can to their prey before they start the chase.[3]
African lions are listed as vulnerable, with numbers continuing to dramatically decline.
They are the only big cat not currently protected under the Endangered Species Act, and pro-
hunters are strongly lobbying against placing the lion on the list.[6]
The two majestic stone lions that stand guard outside the New York Public library are
named Patience and Fortitude. They were named in the 1930s to reflect the qualities New
Yorkers exhibited during the Great Depression.[8]
The two bronze lions outside The Art Institute of Chicago were made for its opening in
1893. The south lion is (unofficially) named In an Attitude of Defiance, and the north lion
is named On the Prowl.[7]
A Turkish proverb states: A lion sleeps in the heart of every brave man.[3]

Fear not, we are of the nature of the lion, and cannot descend to the destruction of mice and such
small beasts.
- Elizabeth I

Male lions are the only big cats that look different than the females of the species.[19]
A lions roar is the loudest of any big cat and can be heard up to 5 miles (8 km) away. A
tigers roar can be heard for roughly 2 miles (3 km). Of the big cats, only the tiger, lion,
leopard, and jaguar can roar.[8]
Lions can see six times better in the dark than a human. At night, a reflective coating on
the back of their eyes helps capture moonlight. Additionally, they have a white patch of fur
underneath their eyes that helps to reflect even more light.[3]
A lions bite is 30 times stronger than the bite of a housecat. They actually have the
weakest bite of all the big cats, at 600 psi. The jaguar has the strongest bite force of any big
cat at 2000 psi. The animal with the strongest bite of all is the Nile crocodile at 5000 psi.[2]
The lion is the most social of all big cats.[3]
Lions have been used as symbols in several famous literary works, including the Cowardly
Lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia. The lion is also
used as a symbol for the Gryffindor house in the Harry Potter series.[8]
In 2015, a female African lioness attacked and killed a 29-year-old American woman
through a jeep window. Signs throughout the park warned visitors to keep windows rolled up.
After an investigation, park officials decided not to execute the lioness and instead moved her
to a more private part of the park.[18]

anzania has the largest population of lions in Africa.[9]

White lions are still African lions but they exhibit a recessive trait derived from a less
severe mutation that causes albinism. According to some legends, White lions are messengers
from God and ensure peace and prosperity.[3]
Asiatic lions, cousin of African lions, once were found from India all the way to Europe.
Today, there are fewer than 300 left. The only place they live in the wild is in Gir National
Park in India.[3]
In the wild, male lions live for 1216 years. Lionesses live for about 1518. In captivity,
male lions can live over 20 years.[3]
Lions are not as fast as other types of big cats, such as leopards and tigers. They hunt using
teamwork and rely more on strength than speed to catch and kill prey.[17]
 Canned or captive lion hunting is when lions are farmed to be hunted in enclosed
spaces that make them easy targets. Companies will often send out catalogs so prospective
hunters can choose the exact animal they want to kill. The cost to kill a lion ranges from
$5,400 to $48,000, depending on size and condition of the lion.[4]
Male lions may mate up to 100 times in two days to ensure that the female is pregnant.
Each mating lasts only a few seconds. Female lions are pregnant with their cubs for about 3
months.[3]
Lion prides are usually described as matriarchal, with communal care for the young. Most
lionesses in a pride are related and remain in the same pride for life. Only two or three lions
within a pride will be males, who are either brothers or pride-mates.[9]
A dominant male in a pride has two jobs. First, he must mate with all the females in the
pride and, second, he must defend the pride from other males who want to take over. Male
lions usually can keep control over a pride for 4 years

Lions hunt mostly at night and have about a 50% success rate.[3]
A lion prides territory can stretch up to 100 square miles and can cover grasslands, open
woodland, and scrubs.[3]
Lionesses will often bring back a small animal, such as a baby antelope, alive so that the
cubs can practice their hunting skills.[3]
Lions come in several different colors, including tan, brown, yellow, and even red.[3]
Lions live in prides of 2 to 40 members, with the average pride consisting of 13 animals.[9]
There are two surviving species of lions: African and Asian. There are about six subspecies
of African lions.[3]
A male lions mane starts to grow at about 18 months old and will continue to grow until a
lion is 5 years old.[3]
The famous MGM lion is named Leo the Lion and has opened every one of its movies
since 1929. Five different lions have been used for MGMs iconic feline. Around the circle
that frames Leo is the MGM motto: Ars Gratia Artis (Art for Arts Sake).[1]
Lions are the national animal of several countries, including Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria,
England, Ethiopia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Singapore.[3]
A lions pupil is three times as big as a humans. But a lion cant move its eyes side to side
very well, so it moves its entire head when it needs to look in a different direction.

If a lioness breeds with a male leopard, their offspring is a leopon. The head of a leopon is
similar to that of a lion while the body more closely resembles a leopard. A leopon is more
often produced in captivity than in the wild.[3]
A lioness and male jaguar hybrid is known as a jaglion.[3]
If a lioness breeds with a male tiger, the resulting hybrid is a tigon. A liger is the offspring
of a male lion and tigress. Each has parents from the same genus but of different species.[3]
Lions will scavenge whenever they get chance. In fact, scavenging provides more than half
of a lions diet.[3]
The scientific name for lion is Panthera leo. The lion is one of the five big cats in the
genus Panthera and is a member of the family Felidae. The other four members of the genus
are the tiger, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard.[14]
The most common lion is the African lion, and with their tan coats and loud roars, they are
the animals most people think of when they think of lions.[3]
It is a common belief that lion claws are retractable. Actually they are protractible, which
means that when the animal is at rest, the claws are sheathed. This protects the claws and
helps keeps them sharp. If their claws were retractable, lions would need to walk around
tensing to keep the claws sheathed.[3]
A lion can roar at the age of 2

The lion has a special tongue that is rough enough to peel the skin of their prey away from
the flesh. If a lion licked the back of a humans hand just a few times, it would peel away
much of the skin.[3]
The African lions loose-skin belly allows it to be kicked by prey with little chance of
injury.[3]
Lions can open their jaws up to 1 foot, which is larger than a human head. This gives them
one of the biggest mouths in the animal kingdom.[3]
Lions have an interdigital scent gland between their toes, which is one reason why they
like to scratch trees. Not only are they sharpening and cleaning their claws, they are also
marking their territory.[3]
The killing of Cecil the lion by an American dentist in 2015 sparked a firestorm of
controversy. Cecil was lured from a protected park, wounded with a crossbow, and then
hunted down.[16]

The most famous lion in ancient Greece mythology is the Nemean lion, which was killed
by Heracles. It is represented in the constellation Leo and is also a sign of the Zodiac.[3]
Lions do not purr. The only member of the big cat family that does is the leopard.[17]
At the base of each lions whisker is a black spot. The patterns these spots make are unique
to each lion, similar to a humans fingerprint. Scientists are able to tell lions apart by looking
at these patterns.[3]
When a lion curls up its top lip and pulls a funny face, it is usually using its Jacobsons
organ, which is a small area on the roof of the mouth that allows a lion to taste the air. By
sticking out their tongues and showing their teeth, which is known as the flehmen response,
they can determine if there is food close by and if its worth eating.[3]
Lions have a well-developed sense of hearing, which is enhanced by movable ears that can
adjust to the direction of a sound. A lion can hear prey up to a mile away.[3]
The griffin is a mythic creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.
This powerful creature symbolizes various qualities, such as the sun, wisdom, vengeance,
strength, and salvation. The creatures dual nature also can symbolize Jesus Christs
resurrection or the strength and wisdom of God.[15]
A lions body is the foundation of one of Egypts largest single structures, the Great
Sphinx.[16]
The lion hunt is an ancient symbol. Ancient political leaders would often draw their
legitimacy from depicting their triumph over a lion. The real slaughter of lions, however, has
mainly occurred only in the past 200 years.[16]
Lions are at risk of extinction by the year 2020 unless drastic measures are taken to save
them.[13]
In Swahili, a lion is called simba

Farmers in East Africa use a poison named Furadan to kill lions. Just a handful sprinkled
on an animal carcass can wipe out an entire pride of lions that feeds on it. The poison is so
toxic that it has been banned in both the U.S. and the EU.[3]
Approximately 600 lions are killed every year by tourists on trophy hunts. An estimated
60% of these trophies are shipped to the U.S.[6]
 In Botswana, 90% of the free-roaming lions are infected with FIV, the feline equivalent of
human HIV.[3]
The earliest recorded images of lions are found in the Chauvet Cave in southern France
dating back 32,000 years.[3]
Since the origin of civilization, images of lions have been used to represent majesty, awe,
and leadership. Their depictions can be found in most civilizations including Paleolithic
cultures, Egyptian, Grecian, Roman, Middle Eastern, Persian, Jewish, Christian, many
gnostic traditions, Arthurian legends, Islamic traditions, Hindu-Buddhist traditions, and
Chinese and Eastern Asian traditions.

Famous leaders have used lions for nicknames, including Richard the Lionheart; Robert
III, the Lion of Flanders; and Lala Lajpat Rai, The Lion of Punjab.[3]
Damnatio ad bestias, Latin for damnation to the beasts, was a type of Roman capital
punishment in which criminals and others were executed by wild animals, such as lions.[8]
Bulgarias currency is named Leva, which means lion in Old Bulgarian.[12]
Brigham Young, a Mormon prophet, housed many of his wives and children in a home
called The Lion House.[8]
Images of a lion lying peacefully with other animals symbolize a paradise or Golden Age
without conflict.[8]
In England, several kings kept lions in the Tower of London as part of The Royal
Menagerie. The animals were symbols of power and as objects of curiosity in the 13th
century.[8]