The Lion Tracker Mentality

Lion tracking is rich in metaphor. The very essence of tracking is to follow a trail few others can see. Lion trackers function largely on instinct. Once the first track is chosen, trackers plunge into the unknown. A tracker learns that only when they are fully present can they detect the subtle signs and patterns that lead them from track to track.

One of my favorite books is The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life. I found myself resonating with the life lessons and personal philosophy of the author, Boyd Varty, and drawing many parallels to the mindset needed to succeed in entrepreneurial endeavors.

Varty grew up in the African bush, and learned the ancient art of tracking while apprenticing under a renowned tracker from the Shangaan tribe. Later in life, he carried those lessons over to his work as a high-performance coach. What follows are four key attributes of what I call “the lion tracker mentality.”

Vision

This sixth sense for spotting tracks and navigating tricky trails is developed through cycles of trial and error. Like an investor who spots an opportunity early, or a founder who discovers a secret, trackers find the path by having a prepared mind — one honed over years of putting in the reps.

Act With Conviction

Lion trackers learn to navigate with certainty even when the next step is unclear. Sequoia Capital has a great articulation of this same philosophy, what they call ‘crucible moments’. What Sequoia has observed is that challenging times are often when the best founders step up and separate themselves from the rest. These superior founders see inflection points as opportunities to show their mettle, make hard trade-offs, and seize opportunity.

Lean Into Fear

The African bush is a dangerous place. Death lurks in the shadows and wrong turns can spell disaster. Trackers are under near-constant stress, operating in difficult terrain and relying on clues that are hard to interpret. The best learn to see adversity as a gift and to keep their cool under pressure. Even when challenged with a crisis — lack of water, a snake bite — the lion tracker mentality is characterized by an ability to maintain a positive mindset, adapt, adjust, and re-find the trail. Only by operating with an antifragile mindset does a tracker ultimately find the lion.

Honor Your Wild Self

To honor your wild self is to allow yourself the freedom to be who you really are. The best trackers have unique strengths — superpowers — that they lean into in order to accomplish their mission.

These spikes can be a double-edged sword. The best trackers may not be the friendliest or the most entertaining. They learn that survival and success come from operating independently and being relentless in pursuit of the destination. Embracing your unique strengths and opinions — the courage to be disliked — echoes the principles Keith Rabois highlights about “spiky” founders. Such founders, with pronounced strengths and unconventional viewpoints, may not always blend smoothly. Yet it is the readiness to stand apart, and to embrace dissent, that can lead to groundbreaking innovation.

Conclusion

Anyone who has embarked on an entrepreneurial journey stands to learn from the ancient art of lion tracking. I highly encourage both founders and investors to pick up a copy of Varty’s book and enjoy the wisdom shared within.