The Strength is in the Hive

"Strength in the hive" free AI image from flatai.org

Phylicia Rashad, the compassionate but stern matriarch at the Huxtable residence that is familiar to those raised in the early eighties from The Cosby Show's television sitcom, showcases her on-screen talents alongside Jason Statham's jawline grit in the action drama The Beekeeper. The movie carries a message about organizational governance and national security. In the film, Statham plays Adam Clay, a military operative who works as a beekeeper on Mrs. Parker's property, portrayed by Rashad. While Adam Clay undertakes the duties of a beekeeper as a side job, this role serves as a cover for his specialized skills as a government operative. Despite the film's intense scenes filled with explosions, gunfights, and martial arts, it emphasizes a message about organizational leadership through the concept of hive theory.

The Hive Theory

Jonathan Haidt's work The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion proposes the following inquiry: Does the world operate based on interactions with objects or associations in relationships? 2 The Hive theory addresses the question of relationships in organizations.  

As an illustration, in the military, the United States Marines observe their military culture like that of a beehive to the extent that a selfless approach to mission accomplishment through surgical execution by intense camaraderie, precision teamwork, undaunted coordination, and a severe unyielding fight in the services of national defense. As a correlation, the goal of honey bees is to protect the queen and ensure the safety and survival of the hive. For that matter, the following lines will elaborate on the hive hypothesis that scholars have challenged the way traditional thinking about social systems and, by extension, organization structures achieve their goals.

Suppose the goal of the honey bee is to produce honey for the next generation of offspring, to help the hive thrive, and again to safeguard the queen. What can leaders take away from the hive hypothesis for their units, departments, and institutions?

According to Haidt, creating an environment that fosters an understanding of people's thinking is essential. Haidt peels back the onion and emphasizes while demonstrating that people, like bees in a hive, depend on one another within a community. 3 This interdependence can lead to an atmosphere of good cheer for the organization.

Furthermore, Haidt suggests that a person's self-interest can hinder personal and organizational good cheer, a component of workplace engagement where employees feel a relationship with one another and their leaders 1,3, which supports a healthy workplace culture. If individual self-interest takes precedence over a group's collective goals, it can build barriers to an organization's success.

Additionally, when people perform work harmoniously or synchronized—much like dancing—Haidt suggests that these ways of acting and behaving support group togetherness. 3 For military units, sports teams, or even musicians, success relies on members moving in unison towards a common goal, viz. securing a perimeter, making a basket, or performing a piece by Bach or Beethoven.

The hive concept applies to healthcare. Teams are vital in surgical and procedural units. During surgical operations, synchronized and homogenous activities and processes, akin to a waltz, are done to help patients. Maintaining a team focus and collaborative spirit, as Kern emphasizes, means that the staff must be in the game. When healthcare staff work harmoniously to ensure successful outcomes for patients undergoing heart procedures, the patient benefits. 5

Practicing the Hive Concept

How can leaders institute the hive theory in their respective industries? Harvey suggests, first and foremost, that the wellbeing of others, especially staff and direct reports, should come first. One way that Harvey points out that could assist with hive concepts in healthcare is by allowing members of a department or unit to work together to discover what challenges exist, secondly, work together to find a solution, and finally take time to acknowledge, recognize, and memorialize the victories. 4

Lastly, leaders can take inventory, as suggested by Nolasco, through self-discovery and by supporting those they mentor and coach. By maintaining a positive outlook daily, demonstrating authentic concern, empowering and giving away leadership opportunities to others, performing daily psychological well-being checks with staff, and encouraging work-life balance by painting the canvas for others. 6

To the extent that the hive conceptualizing behaviors and attitudes will become manifest in a department, unit, or organization chiefly through a leader's understanding of their native strengths and weaknesses, as Nolasco asserts 6, improving upon and adapting the servant as leader archetype, and promoting core values, unique character attributes, and sharpening one's skills, abilities and area of competence becomes evident depends on motivation, ambition, and enthusiasm to serve others.

References:

1. Clifton, J., & Harter, J. K. (2019). It’s the manager: Gallup finds that the quality of managers and team leaders is the single biggest factor in your organization’s long-term success. Gallup Press.
2. Haidt, J. (2012). The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion. Random House Inc.
3. Haidt, J., Patrick Seder, J., & Kesebir, S. (2008). Hive psychology, happiness, and public policy. The Journal of Legal Studies, 37(S2). https://doi.org/10.1086/529447
4. Harvey, D. (2024). Prioritizing nurse well-being and patient safety. Nursing Management, 55(11), 56–56. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmg.0000000000000190
5. Kern, M. J., Sorajja, P., & Lim, M. J. (2020). Kern’s Cardiac Catheterization Handbook. Elsevier.
6. Nolasco, Z., Deveaux, D., Thompson, T. D., & Zavotsky, K. E. (2024). The Great Recovery in Nursing. Nursing Management, 55(11), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmg.0000000000000191