The old gorilla story

This is an old story, and I’ve told this in many of my seminars many years ago. When I was looking over my old notes, I realized this story is still relevant today.

There’s this businessman who had six kids and who went bankrupt. While scanning the newspaper, he came across an ad for someone to work at the zoo. The man called the zoo and asked if he could have the job; he was scheduled an interview. But before the interview began, his potential employer told him that he needed to sign an oath never to reveal whatever would transpire during the interview whether or not he gets the job. He agreed.

The zoo owner asked the businessman. “What do you think is the main attraction in the zoo?” The businessman replied, “Why, of course everybody knows it is the gorilla who is the star of the show.”

The zoo owner said, “You’re right. But he died last week. And without the gorilla, our business might go under. But I noticed that you took up gymnastics, and if this job would interest you, all you need to do is get under the gorilla skin and be the star of the show.”

The businessman decided that this job was important for his family. So he accepted it.

Crouched low in the gorilla skin, he jumped up and down, swung from one rope to another, and instantly became the star of the show. Sales for the zoo increased by 40 percent.

The zoo owner was happy, the businessman was happy, and nobody ever noticed that underneath the gorilla skin was a businessman. But one day, as he swung from one rope to another, the rope broke, and he fell into the lion’s cage. The lion began stalking him slowly, approaching with purposeful steps.

The businessman screamed like a gorilla at the top of his voice, hoping someone would come in and help him, but nobody came. Finally, with the lion just inches away from him, he decided that his family was more important than his job. So in full view of the people, he removed his gorilla head and shouted, “Help! Somebody help me! I’m not a gorilla, I’m a man!”

But then the lion approached him and shouted, “Shut up you fool! Do you want me to lose my job too?” Underneath the lion skin was another businessman who was out of a job!

The genius who came up of this story knew the uncertainty of the times. Many college courses become irrelevant because the careers they’re for become obsolete or irrelevant as well and get eliminated from the work scene. Thus, the most important capability you and I need in these fast-changing times is Skills Agility. And every person in the organization needs to develop business acumen. The first to go would be people with very limited skills, as computers and automation gradually replace warm bodies. This is a reality not many people talk about, but one that’s here to stay, for a while at the very least.

Do you have fixed skills or elastic skills? If you have fixed skills, then your days are numbered. If you have elastic skills, then you need to continue to grow and stretch yourself. That’s how elasticity is supposed to work – you’re supposed to stretch.

You need to do your job with skills and with zeal. Be a life-long learner. Sharpen your saw, be excellent in everything you do, and make yourself indispensable in your organization. Excellence today is no longer just an ideal. It’s a basic requirement for survival.

(Let’s stay connected! Click on to www.franciskong.com or “Like” my page at www.facebook.com/franciskong2. You can also listen to my radio program “Business Matters” aired at 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. during weekdays over “The Master’s Touch” 98.7 dzFE-FM, the classical music station.)