5 Powerful Business Lessons Nature Teaches Us

3 min readApr 4, 2023

Since the inception of time, nature has protected mankind. We have evolved by taking resources from nature. Nature doesn’t just make for beautiful Instagram pictures; it also nurtures us. The only reason Earth can sustain life is because of nature and the atmosphere.

Recently, in my podcast Figuring Out, I had an opportunity to interact with Divya Gokulnath, co-founder of BYJU’S. She was just another student with a business degree until she decided to set up her own organization along with her husband. From being a mother to being ranked №2 in Fortune’s global list of Most Powerful Women in Startups in 2022, her journey is inspiring. When I asked her how she manages it all, she responded, she takes nature to be her teacher. Hence I thought, how can we learn business lessons from nature? This is what I found out.

1. Change is the only constant

Some days are rainy, some days are humid while some days can be sunny. Yet there is joy in all of them.

Similarly, when you are setting up a business or even managing one, no phase lasts forever. Sometimes it will be good, sometimes it will be bad. Each has a lesson of its own. Good times will assure you how far you’ve come and how you can achieve more. Bad times will subject you to scrutinizing and rectifying your mistakes.

2. Practice patience

A certain planning is required for harvesting any kind of crop or vegetable. You plant the seeds in one season, continue to take care of it, and after a certain period of time it yields fruits.

In business as well, you cannot expect instant results. You have to invest, network, and build your reputation patiently. After years of hard work, you will witness your organization grow. In today’s world, this is probably one of the biggest lessons to learn from nature.

3. Survival of the fittest

Evolution, one of nature’s biggest phenomenologies, can also teach you so much. Over millions and millions of years, some organisms have completely gone extinct while some have evolved.

You need to be similarly flexible in your business. You have to understand the pulse of the moment and act similarly. The competition to succeed and survive is cut throat. The only way to make it to the finish line is to be flexible and adapt.

4. Interconnectivity

The cyclic process of running a business is a life lesson from nature. Nature survives through a chain of interconnectivity and interdependency.

Similarly in business, one man cannot do it all. You need to lean on your suppliers, your partners, your investors and above everything your employees. Once everyone starts working efficiently, the net result will be worthwhile.

5. Cutting edge

Nature is full of examples of innovation and creativity. To name a few, the intricate designs of leaves, the complex social structures of ants, the beautiful colors of birds.

Similarly, you must foster a culture of innovation and creativity in order to stay ahead in the race. This includes encouraging new ideas, experimenting with new approaches, and taking calculated risks. You have to continuously innovate and be creative to be triumphant, and it is one of the things we need to learn from nature.

You need to take some time off, and spend some time in nature. You can learn from it by breathing the fresh air, smelling the scent of flowers or seeing a flight of birds flying around. You will be rejuvenated. Ideas will start brimming inside you because there’s no bigger teacher than Mother Earth.

For more such insights, tune into the full episode here.