1. Mayflies are one of the most interesting insects that have very unique lifecycle. The
lifecycle of mayflies serves an important management message, the corporate,
especially that are runs as ‘single man’s’ corporate to learn. The mayflies are popularly
called as ‘one day fly’ as the adult fly lives only for 24hr.
The interesting point is that the female mayflies lay eggs in water, post mating. The
eggs sink to the bottom of the pond or lake and later become ‘naiads’ or ‘larvae’. The
larvae survive for months to years by eating the algae and other plants in the pond,
lakes, streams etc. After spending years of larval life, they grow to an adult insect and
moves to the surface of water to mate. The life of the adult mayflies is as short as 1 day
or 24 hrs. Whereas, the larvae is know to live for about 2 years.
Why the life span of the adult mayflies is as short as a day while the larvae lives for
nearly 2 years or more as larvae. In 24 hrs, the adult fly mates, lay eggs and then die.
Why such uniqueness exist in the lifecycle of these insects.
Every employee passes through similar lifecycles in the corporate. The people, from the
day they join a corporate, struggles to become something. There is a great struggle in
sustaining the job and struggle to progress or become something. They always run after
promotion, recognition and newer designations etc. Most employees in the corporate
invest or engage major portion of their life in the ‘run’ to become something.
Assume that someone has reached the highest position as CEO or Head/ President/Vice
President in some corporate as a result of their continuous struggle, more often lives
short in the designation. Why? Like the larvae of mayflies, most people live a life in
struggle/effort/search to become something for a very long period. But, once they
become something what they aspires to become, lives short.
The adult mayflies, undoubtedly justifies their short life span as they complete the
purpose of mating and egg laying in less than 24 hrs. Do the corporate people when
they become CEO’s/Presidents/Vice Presidents etc., complete as meaningful role as the
mayflies?
At the top position, people seldom survive as they are ‘struggle’ centric than ‘vision’
centric. When they were living with great struggles to become something, the goal to
‘become something’ was only driving them. When they become something, they are
left with just ‘struggle’ and the purpose is lost. That is why most of the best performing
employees become hopeless and helpless bosses when they become leaders.
The corporate must understand the people as whether they operate from the ‘struggle
centric’ axis or are driven by the ‘vision’. If the corporate fails to understand the people
for the above distinction, they might appoint ‘mayflies’ as CEO’s or Presidents to run the
corporate.

2. Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai
Learn more from the following management books
1. Jungle wisdom for corporate management – lessons from the university of
nature by Swami Sukhabodhananda and Dr S Ranganathan
2. Nature – The Entrepreneur by Dr S Ranganathan