Maryland's Race for the Cure and the Geese Group

On Thursday I will, once again, be traveling to Baltimore to help Phil Fratesi and the Geese Group coordinate and direct Maryland’s Race for the Cure for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.



Years ago Phil described to me the phenomenon of how a flock of geese, flying in a “V” formation, added lift and greater flying range than if each bird flew alone – how a shared direction and a sense of community can accomplish a task quicker and easier.  He told me he wanted to create a working group based on this simple principle of sharing leadership while accomplishing difficult tasks – that people like geese are, in fact, interdependent on each other’s skills, abilities, talents, and resources.

He described how when a goose falls out of formation, it instantly experiences the resistance of flying alone, loosing the advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

He described how when the lead goose becomes tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position

He described how geese when flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to maintain their momentum, how when a goose is incapacitated in any way, two other geese drop out of the formation and follow it down to assist and protect it, staying with it until it dies or is able to fly again. He maintained, people like geese need and deserve encouragement and support and when it is provided, the quality of production is always superior.