Have you ever read the excellent short story, Leiningen Verses the Ants? I remember when I first read it, I was a fifth grader and it blew my mind. Leiningen (no first name is given) is a wealthy plantation owner in South America whose land and workers are threatened by a ten-mile-long, two-mile-wide column of deadly army ants.
As a ten-year-old, I wasn’t aware of the innumerable man vs. nature short stories from that bygone era of the 30s and 50s. These stories were published in pulp magazines, and men’s publications like Esquire. They were usually over-the-top in their story telling and their characters. They often reflected some of the racial biases of the time, and Leiningen Verses the Ants is no exception to this.
If you want to read it the full text of the story is here. There are also several dramatized radio broadcasts of the story that can be easily found with a Google search. To top it off, the story of Leiningen also inspired the film The Naked Jungle starring Charlton Heston, and an episode of the television show MacGyver. How cool is that?
So why am I telling you all this? Well, I recently decided to read the story again. The first things I noticed were the aforementioned over-the-top tone and racial stereotyping. The next thing I noticed were the amazing leadership lessons in the story. I want to focus on just one of these lessons.
The main point of the story is certainly that a man’s reasoning ability and ingenuity can triumph over the raw power of nature. But I spotted a more subtle lesson. I call it the lesson of expendability.
The ants are so dangerous and unstoppable because of their large numbers and willingness to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the horde. In order to cross the moats that Leiningen has contrasted, they make bridges out of their drowned comrades’ bodies. They have no fear of death, with only their desire to consume driving them.
In contrast, Leiningen puts his people first. He evacuates the families of his four hundred workers to safety, and gives the workers a chance to leave when the battle seems uncertain—but none of them take him up on it. He makes sure they are getting food and sleep, and he promises them an increase in wages when the struggle is over.
But the most poignant example of Leiningen’s concern for his people is near the end of the story. It’s revealed that the only way to win the battle is to flood all the lowlands of the plantation. Leiningen realizes that he will have to be the one that crosses the two miles of ants to the dam. He takes responsibility and risks his life for his men.
And so I wonder, am I more like the ants or Leiningen? Am I driven only by the goal, and not mindful of who I’m stepping on to get there? Do I see people as a means to an end?
Or will I always lay my life down for people, inspiring a trust in them that transcends any challenge we could face? Do they know that I love them and their families dearly? Do my actions show it?
If I’m going to be an over-the-top leader, I want to be over-the-top in my love and sacrifice for those I’m leading.