The Business Case for the Honey Badger

Did you know that there’s a lot to learn about your business from honey badgers?

But because it seems out of left field, I want to provide an appropriate introduction to this unassuming cross between a wolverine, a shar-pei, and a skunk.

What an odd combination of animals! But accurate.

They live in some of the harshest environments on earth that are populated with more than their fair share of large badger-eating animals, poisonous reptiles (who might also enjoy eating badgers), and otherwise nasty insects. No, I’m not talking about Australia. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.

You might be imagining a big-big-big bad badgermole from Avatar, the Last Airbender. Some massive beastie that you’ve just never seen lumbering around the savannah. But you’d be wrong.

Honey badgers stand 9-11 inches tall, they’re about 22-30 inches long, and their tail adds on an additional 5-12 inches. So they’re the size of a large cat or a small to medium sized dog. Imagine a cocker spaniel that never wakes up on anything other than the wrong side of the bed. They weigh somewhere between 20-35 pounds for the males, and 11-22 pounds for the females.

Basically a beefy wiener dog. A small creature.

A small creature I have watched face off an entire pride of lions (males and females), chase an elephant off (for some unknown reason) … and there’s even a video of a honey badger seized by a massive 6-10 foot snake in amongst the brush. The snake has it entirely wrapped up when the video starts, and while this snake is trying to do its thing, two jackals show up and start attacking the honey badger as well. Not only does the badger escape its predicament, the scene ends with a wonderful snack for the badger (the snake that tried to kill it) that was not shared with the aforementioned jackals.

If the story about the snake doesn’t tell you this on its own, honey badgers are also notorious for being difficult to contain because they’re frequently escaping whatever enclosure silly humans have attempted to put it in.

Honey badgers get their name from their love of honey bee larvae, which (it bears mentioning) is appropriately hidden within the brood chamber, deep within bee hives. I don’t know about you, but if I had a hankering for a milkshake and the only place I could find it was at the center of a bee hive I’d have to penetrate primarily with my face and a pair of paws with no thumbs … you better believe I’d give up eating milk shakes altogether. Nobody would name me after the milkshake. No one would even know I liked them.

Honey badgers have skin that is both thick, and incredibly loose around their neck … which helps them care less about being stung, or bitten, by otherwise deadly or painful creatures. And if their thick skin isn’t enough protection, they’re also resistant to venom.

Any animal that somehow manages to get past all of those defenses, along with the sharp teeth and claws that never stop growing … will still have to contend with the smell. Similar to skunks, honey badgers have a stink gland which allows them to essentially drop stink bombs to ward off its enemies. Because let’s be honest … if you are a honey badger you don’t have predators.

So why a honey badger? What could you possibly learn about your business from these animals?

An animal that is not the biggest, fastest, or strongest animal in its environment … but still manages to not just survive, but thrive. In the coming weeks I’ll be unpacking how they do that with a bias to action, by maintaining a laser focus, employing selective engagement, and operating on simple actionable rules.

What have you run into that feels insurmountable in your business?

Hit reply, let me know. Maybe I can help you go back to enjoying milkshakes.