Heffernan begins with a scientific approach as she highlights how an evolutionary biologist at Purdue University was researching productivity. His direction to find his desired results? Studying chickens. As Heffernan puts it, “it’s easy to measure in chickens because you just count the eggs”. In this study, the biologist had two groups: one group of average chickens that he left alone for six generations, and the other comprised of the most “productive” chickens. “You could call them super chickens and he put them together in a super flock in each generation he selected only the most productive for breeding”. After six generations, he looked at both of these flocks and the results were staggering.
The first group of average chickens were progressing along just fine and growing quite healthily. The group of Super Chickens? Not so much. “They had pecked the rest to death. The individually productive chickens had only achieved their success by suppressing the productivity of the rest.” Surprising? Some would say no as they can see a comparison to many realities in their own life. As Heffernan has shared this study in many of her speeches and talks, she has been surprised at the comments that she has been told by her audience. “That’s my company. That’s my country. Well that’s my life all my life I’ve been told that the way we have to get ahead is to compete.” As Heffernan has started and ran her own successful company contrary to the “Super Chickens” mindset, she is fascinated as to why we teach this mindset in our society. Continue Reading…
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