When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995, it led to an ecological phenomenon referred to as a trophic cascade. In short, the reintroduction of a relatively small pack of wolves triggered a chain of positive changes that restored the ecological health of the entire park. Like national parks, organizational functions are also complex systems that self-generate benefits. Yet, in spite of massive training investments, most learning and development attempts fail because they remain disconnected from actual business drivers. We offer a solution where the Yellowstone wolves serve as a guiding analogy to illustrate that strategically introducing a high-performing team can unlock systemic growth through scaling team learning.
