These little birds are well known, but not many people have actually seen one.

I am fascinated by this specific bird because it has so many capabilities that I consider fundamental in today’s business environment:

1. Co-evolution: Evolving together with the plants they feed on.
This collaboration is fundamental in a business environment. If a company doesn’t evolve according to its market it will be doomed to extintion.

2. Extreme focused vision: Adapted vision to the navigational needs, both in rapid flight or hovering.
Being able to keep your sight on the goal and on all changes that happen in this fast paced world is a quality that all companies must have. Sometimes the pace of change is so fast, that it leads companies to make failures that can have a big impact on their growth.

3. Metabolism and torpor: Ability to use high power to sustain high energy consumption or to enter in torpor state when not enough food is available.
The energy that a big company consumes is high. Keeping a high pace requires both resilient people and an ability to understand when to rest and recover. Keeping a high pace without paying attention to the energy and motivation of people will eventually lead to not achieving the goals.

4. Flight stability: During turbulent airflow conditions, hummingbirds exhibit stable head positions and orientation.
Keeping a company stable despite of adverse external events is fundamental but it requires alignment of all departments that need to be working together with a clear common goal. All people and departments need to be aligned to avoid unstable internal environment.

5. Song and vocal learning: Ability to acquire vocalizations through imitation.
Sometimes innovation doesn’t have to be created internally. The ability to observe others and incorporate knowledge can be as useful as discovering something new. Many companies invest lots of money in research and development but a similar investment in understanding the markets and the environment could bring significant new learnings and incorporate lots of value in the current products / services.

Companies that behave like hummingbirds have greater chances of being successfull.

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For more information about hummingbirds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird