Why The Hippo Lives in Water
A long time ago, when things were not as it was today, there lived a proud Hippo chief. He had seven wives, as was the tradition for wealthy animals then. He had a secret name known only to his wives. They learned to keep it unknown to anyone. One day, the Hippo hosted a party during which he put out a challenge to the other animals, asking them to tell him his real name. After much deliberation, none of the animals could reveal the Hippo’s real name.
The Hippo laughed derisively and replied, “I’m afraid, my people, if you can’t reveal my name, you will have to go home hungry. The dishes here will only be available to all when you reveal my name!”
All the animals were stunned. All those mouth-watering dishes will be left uneaten. Ah! some more animals tried to guess his name but got it all wrong.
The animals dispersed, hungry and very angry. Many weeks passed, and the Hippo hosted another feast. No one was able to reveal his name. Many animals guessed and were wrong. Then the Tortoise rose to speak.
“Sir,” he started. “Since you have shamed us several times, can I ask what we stand to gain apart from the feast you have here?” The Hippo replied, “Well, I’ll give you my land and retire to live in the river!” It was a tough challenge. He believed that no one could get his name right. The crowd dispersed again, very hungry.
Now, the Hippo and his wives had a favourite bathing stream, just by the foot of the remarkable baobab. It was a luxurious and private bathing spot acquired by the Hippo for his household. One day, the hippos went down to the stream for a dip. The Tortoise, well aware of their movement, dug and hid on the soft sand with his hard shell stuck out but disguised as stone. He waited and waited. At last, the hippos started back to the village, he led the way and was followed by the eldest wife. They went in a single file, thereby leaving the youngest wife behind.
When the last wife came to the soft sands, the Tortoise raised his shell a little so that she struck her foot on the hard surface and yelled: “Nnayị ukwu dim ọma my husband, come and help me. I stuck my foot on a stone!” When the hippos finally left the scene, Tortoise ran back with joy.
A few weeks later, the hippos hosted another feast. They had fun mocking other animals. When it was time for name revealing, the Hippo marched majestically to the podium to allow animals to guess his name. All the animals tried, but none could get it. The Tortoise was the last to try.
“Your name is Nnayị ukwu dim ọma!”
There was complete silence, broken by a round of applause and sudden feasting when the Hippo’s face dropped. Without words, the hippos marched to the river with their belongings. To this day, my friends, the Hippos live in water. Never to return to land again!
The business lesson learnt from this story is that of overconfidence. Overconfidence in business is known as overconfidence bias. Overconfidence bias is a cognitive error where individuals overestimate their skills, knowledge, or control over situations. This can manifest as managers overestimating company profits, underestimating risks, and making decisions without considering alternative perspectives or data. Ways to counter this include seeking objective feedback, Considering contradictory evidence, using data and analysis, embracing humility, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
