Why I Would Rather Be a Buffalo

A dear friend recently shared this quote with me, and it immediately struck a chord. It resonated deeply, especially with my entrepreneurial spirit. When starting a business, it’s always better to be the buffalo.

Wilma Mankiller made history as the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, a role that undoubtedly presented immense challenges. While I can’t fully comprehend the weight of that responsibility, her story deeply resonates with me, especially in the context of business and leadership.

Her journey mirrors the path of founders and business leaders who break new ground, confront obstacles head-on, and venture into the unknown. Working closely with entrepreneurs, I see this pioneering spirit every day. The metaphor is a powerful reminder of the resilience required to build and scale a company.

And when faced with a storm, I’d rather be the buffalo.

The Oncoming Storm

Entrepreneurship is full of storms. Market shifts, hiring dilemmas, supply chain breakdowns, regulatory changes – the list is endless. These obstacles aren’t rare or unpredictable; they’re an inevitable part of the journey. There is always another challenge, whether we predict their approach, and each one can make or break a startup during those days of early launch when any major setback could throw off your trajectory for success.

From my experience, how founders approach these challenges often determines the success of their business. These entrepreneurial storms are conditions they must overcome, and they don’t go away if you try to avoid them or stay just barely ahead of them. If you try to run, like the cow in Wilma’s metaphor, you remain within the storm even longer instead of blowing through with strength and an ever-improving business strategy to see daylight on the other side.

If you’ve ever driven cross-country through a big storm system, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Drive ahead of the storm, and it will rain on you for hours. But if you’re driving directly into the storm, you’ll see lighting and turn your wipers on high, but the rest of your trip will be clear skies.

Running Makes the Storm Last Longer

It’s common to see business leaders who react like the cow in Wilma’s metaphor. Their inclination is to retreat from the storms, hoping each one will lose intensity before it reaches them. But most of the time, that’s not how it works. Avoiding difficult conversations, delaying critical decisions, and skirting around uncomfortable realities does not make a problem disappear. More likely than not, it causes the challenges to take longer or – worse – ingrains those avoidant behaviors into your business practices with no clear solution when the same storm occurs again.

While these avoidant reactions are understandable, we all like to maintain a comfort zone, and “being the cow” prolongs the problem. In business, it can make the storm’s impact even more disruptive than simply charging into the lightning and facing the challenge head-on.

Buffalo Inspired Problem Solving

The buffalo, on the other hand, can teach us a vital lesson. Take on the storm. Face the storm, accept the challenge, and charge toward it with the full force of your capabilities. By charging toward it, the buffalo reduces the time spent in turmoil.

Founders who embrace the Buffalo mindset take proactive steps to confront challenges as soon as they arise. They lean into discomfort, ask the hard questions, and tackle issues directly. They embrace that challenge is inherent to the system and that success comes from enacting fast, effective solutions. Problems may be uncomfortable, but solving those problems makes you stronger and able to dispatch future storms quickly.

This approach minimizes the duration of challenges and builds resilience and confidence. We can embody the buffalo, growing more substantial and more resilient with every storm we face.  

My Favorite Buffalo

I once worked with a founder whose company faced a serious cash flow crisis. Instead of avoiding the issue, she rallied her team, laid out the harsh realities, and collaborated to find solutions. She not only faced the problem but also inspired everyone to face the storm together. This leveraged their combined capabilities, grit, and innovation to achieve the best possible solution.

Together, they tightened expenses, renegotiated vendor contracts, and launched a new product feature that brought in critical revenue. It was a grueling period, but because she faced the storm head-on, the company emerged stronger and better positioned for growth.

Had she delayed action, the outcome could have been very different.

The Buffalo Approach to Business Strategy

Buffalo thinking doesn’t mean acting recklessly. It means assessing the storm, preparing for impact, and taking decisive action. It’s about choosing courage over comfort, even when the path is daunting. As an entrepreneur, being the buffalo means being mentally agile, ready to build a new solution, and enacting it without hesitation whenever conditions change.

The buffalo approach to business strategy calls for boldness, but like my previous example, success comes from boldly applying the expertise and teamwork that have already helped you achieve success.

Each oncoming storm is simply a new opportunity to use your ingenuity as quickly and effectively as you are capable.

Be the Buffalo

For entrepreneurs, the storms will never stop, but adopting the mindset of the buffalo can turn these moments of adversity into opportunities for growth and transformation. By moving through challenges instead of around them, founders can shorten the pain, build resilience, and inspire their teams to do the same.

The views and opinions expressed in this essay are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Solyco Capital. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice or an official statement from Solyco Capital or its affiliates.

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