– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Applause]

[Music]

I would guess that most of you have been

through some kind of change in the last

few years. Am I right?

Maybe for you it was a change in your

job situation, your health, or your

relationships.

Or maybe you're on the precipice of

change right now, wondering what's next.

And it's not just in our personal lives.

Change is happening everywhere. It's in

our systems, our culture, and our

technology. And let's be honest,

sometimes change can feel exciting.

Other times it can feel messy. and

really intense.

Change doesn't just disrupt our

routines. It reaches deep into our core

and activates something within us that's

instinctive and untamed.

Change awakens the animal inside us.

What if I told you there are four main

animal archetypes? And when you know

which one shows up for you, then you can

lead change with more courage, more

compassion, and more purpose. I created

this archetype system after over 20

years implementing change and digital

transformation for Fortune 500

companies. I was really intrigued

because I noticed similar patterns

across different teams. So I wrote a

book about it and I've been all over the

country leading workshops with this

framework.

I've also learned from my own

experiences navigating major career

transitions and health challenges how

change deeply affects us and even how

our environment plays a role.

Now, I want you to think of a change

that you recently faced or maybe one

that you're going through right now.

Perhaps you moved to a new city or

you're figuring out what your next

chapter looks like or you're building a

business or learning a new skill. You

got it.

As I explain these animal archetypes, I

want you to think about which one feels

the most like you, your go-to mode when

change shows up.

Okay, let's find out. When change knocks

on your door, are you a coyote, a moose,

a bear, or an ostrich?

And here's something important. Every

one of these animals has two sides.

There's a strength side and there's a

shadow side. So keep both sides in mind.

The part that helps you move forward and

the part that might hold you back.

As Carl Young said, "Only at night is

there no shadow."

Let's start with the coyote. Coyotes

thrive in uncertainty. They've learned

to adapt in cities, mountains, and

deserts. So, if your change animal is a

coyote, it means you're a go-getter and

you embrace change. You don't want to

fall behind the curve. So, you face

change head on. Your shadow side is that

you might overlook some details or get

burned out. Does that sound familiar?

I remember working with a coyote. She

was excited about change and dove right

in. She was up at 2 a.m. pitching ideas,

always 10 steps ahead. and she'd say

things like, "Let's fail fast and

disrupt the status quo."

That was after she had like five

espressos.

Sometimes she moved too fast and not

everyone could keep up. Her strength,

agility, her shadow side was being a bit

overzealous at times. But when she

intentionally slowed down, she could

reconnect to purpose and values. She

would check in, bring others along and

get their inputs and really think about

the problems they were trying to solve.

That's why you need to understand your

shadow side. Otherwise, you might end up

like WY coyote, going too far too fast,

only to find out you're going in the

wrong direction.

So, for the coyotes out there, go ahead

and be bold. You might just need to

pause, ground yourself, and set

realistic expectations.

Let's move on to the moose.

Imagine a moose running through the

forest with its giant antlers. What

happens?

Inevitably, it gets stuck and the

antlers get locked up and entangled in

trees and other obstacles. So, if your

change animal is a moose, it means every

time you try to make progress, you hit a

wall. Ow, my antlers. That happens to a

lot of us. We want to move forward, but

we face real barriers. And moose don't

always ask for help. But that's the one

thing you might need to do because it's

really hard to get unstuck on our own.

I've met many a moose and I've been one

myself. There was one moose I worked

with. She wanted to contribute and make

an impact, but she wasn't sure how. She

didn't have access to the right tools

and resources, and her manager was very

busy. After a while, she started feeling

a little lost and discouraged. She

almost gave up. But luckily, she found

another path and asked someone else for

help. See, moose are strong, but the

shadow side can appear when they start

to feel powerless and complacent. So, if

you're out there and you're feeling like

a moose, think about where you're

getting stuck and what resources are

available. And when your antlers lock

up, the tendency might be to push even

harder. And that's not going to do much

when you're running into a brick wall.

It might be better instead to take a

breath and look at the bigger picture,

reframe what stuck means. It doesn't

have to define your whole story.

Next, we have the bear. Bears are

rational. They like to hibernate, to

evaluate a situation before making any

moves. So, don't poke the bear and rush

them. Doesn't work. If you're a bear,

you're probably wondering, "What's the

cost of change? What's the impact? What

are the consequences?" Let's think

through this more. Your shadow side

analysis paralysis.

Let me tell you about a bear I know.

He's thoughtful and practical. And when

his team decided to implement change,

the bear was like, "Whoa, slow down,

coyotes. what are we doing? We need a

plan.

And he was right. But the bear had to

learn to balance planning with

execution.

So if you're a bear, go ahead and weigh

your options. Just be mindful when

you're trading speed for certainty. And

what helps is establishing clear shared

goals, breaking them down into

actionable steps, and testing and

learning to take pressure off having a

perfect plan.

And finally, our beloved ostrich.

When it comes to change, the proverbial

ostrich prefers to bury its head in the

sand, hoping that change goes away.

So, if you're an ostrich, you might be

thinking, I just don't want to deal with

this right now. So, you disengage, you

distract yourself, maybe you hide from

change. And these are valid coping

mechanisms when we feel overwhelmed.

But they can also lead to missed

opportunities.

Someone recently confessed to me that

he's an ostrich. He had spent 10 years

in the same role and he knew the job

inside and out. But things were

changing. He had to learn new tools, new

processes, new technology. It was a

really big shift.

Well, actually, he used another sword to

describe it.

and he'd say things like, "I can't be

bothered with that right now. I'm

sticking to what I know. Why fix what's

not broken?"

But over time, the ostrich felt left

behind as the rest of the team adapted,

and it became harder to catch up.

You see, the ostrich's shadow side is

clinging on to comfort and safety just a

little too tightly and getting tunnel

vision. Well, what's their strength? If

you're an ostrich, you're probably

really good at focusing on what you

know, protecting your energy, and

holding on to tradition.

So, if you're an ostrich, no judgment.

We've all been there. Try to understand

what you're avoiding and why.

And really just get curious about your

triggers.

Or you can leverage your strength. Maybe

you do need to conserve your energy

right now and focus on other priorities.

And maybe there is something worth

preserving about tradition.

So, what do you think is your primary

change animal? And before you answer,

let me see if I can make this even

easier to understand. You're at a

crossroads. If you're the coyote, you're

gonna sprint as fast as you can.

If you're the moose, you're kind of

stuck in the mud for now. If you're the

bear, you're studying the map and you're

planning your route. And if you're the

ostrich,

you're like, "Eh, maybe later." And you

take the same familiar road.

So, what's your first reaction?

>> Excellent.

You know what's interesting is that you

might I think you might be thinking

you're hybrid possibly.

Very possible.

Like a like a bear with feathers. You

contemplate and then you withdraw. Or

like a coyote bear blend. You jump in

then you step on the brakes. Yes, we can

be a mix of all the animals but one

tends to lead the way. So, I'd keep that

in mind. And it can be situational. It

can be based on your environment and

your life stage. So, these aren't boxes

to put yourself in. They're more like

mirrors for self-reflection.

You know, it's really interesting when I

use this archetype system with teams. We

learn a lot about where people are and

what they might need. And we even learn

about relationship dynamics and

perceptions. So, for example, you might

think you're being rational like the

bear, but someone else might perceive

you as rushing into things like the

coyote.

So, our change animals help us become

more aware of ourselves and our

interactions with others. There's no

right and there's no wrong. But often

there's a choice and we can learn from

each other. We can have compassion. And

the hard part is that we can take

accountability.

So, here's your challenge. The next time

you're at a crossroads or dealing with

change, pause and ask, which animal is

driving right now?

And then ask, is this helping me or

holding me back? Do I want to stay where

I am, shift direction or perspective,

soften my approach, slow down, speed up,

or even speak up?

Because change is wild. But it can it

can lead to something better, something

new and different.

We can learn to tame our change animals.

And maybe you'll not only find your way,

you'll light the path for others, too.

Thank you.

[Applause]

[Music]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	noun - the act or process of becoming different verb - to become different
adapt /əˈdæpt/ B1	verb - to adjust to new conditions
uncertainty /ʌnˈsɜːrtənti/ B2	noun - the state of being uncertain
archetype /ˈɑːrkitʌɪp/ C1	noun - a very typical example of a particular person or thing
disrupt /dɪsˈrʌpt/ B2	verb - to interrupt or confuse
instinctive /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/ B2	adjective - relating to instinct
thrive /θraɪv/ B1	verb - to grow or develop well
overlook /ˌoʊvərˈlʊk/ B2	verb - to fail to notice
burnout /ˈbɜːrnaʊt/ B2	noun - physical or emotional exhaustion
entangled /ɪnˈtæŋɡəld/ B2	adjective - twisted together or caught in a tangle
hibernate /ˈhaɪbəˌneɪt/ B2	verb - to spend the winter in a dormant state
rational /ˈræʃənl/ B2	adjective - based on reasoning or logic
paralysis /pəˈrælɪsɪs/ C1	noun - inability to act or move
withdrawal /wɪðˈdrɔːəl/ B2	noun - the act of removing or taking back
compassion /kəmˈpæʃən/ B2	noun - sympathetic pity and concern
accountability /əˌkaʊntəˈbɪlɪti/ C1	noun - responsibility for one's actions
reframe /riːˈfreɪm/ C1	verb - to change the way something is presented
preserve /prɪˈzɜːrv/ B2	verb - to keep safe from harm or change
hybrid /ˈhaɪbrɪd/ C1	adjective - a mixture of two different things
perception /pərˈsɛpʃən/ C1	noun - the way one understands or interprets something

Key Grammar Structures

• I would guess that most of you have been through some kind of change in the last few years.

  ➔ Modal verb *would* + base verb (guess) for a polite speculation; present perfect progressive *have been* to talk about experiences up to now.

  ➔ The phrase **"have been"** marks the present perfect, showing an experience that started in the past and continues to the present.

• Change doesn't just disrupt our routines.

  ➔ Negative present simple with auxiliary *does* + not (doesn't) + base verb (disrupt).

  ➔ The auxiliary **"doesn't"** (does + not) makes the verb **"disrupt"** negative in the present simple.

• What if I told you there are four main animal archetypes?

  ➔ Second conditional structure *What if* + past simple (told) to imagine a hypothetical situation; present simple *are* after *there*.

  ➔ The verb **"told"** is in the past simple after *What if*, creating a hypothetical scenario (second conditional).

• So, if your change animal is a coyote, it means you're a go‑getter and you embrace change.

  ➔ Zero conditional *if* + present simple (is) + present simple (means); present simple contraction *you're* (you are).

  ➔ The clause **"if ... is a coyote"** uses the zero conditional to talk about a general truth; **"you're"** contracts *you are*.

• Her shadow side is that she might overlook some details or get burned out.

  ➔ Modal verb *might* + base verb (overlook) to express possibility; coordination with *or* linking two verb phrases.

  ➔ The modal **"might"** signals that overlooking details is only a *possibility*; the sentence joins two alternatives with **"or"**.

• When change knocks on your door, are you a coyote, a moose, a bear, or an ostrich?

  ➔ Inverted question form with auxiliary *are* before the subject; use of *when* as a temporal subordinate clause.

  ➔ The auxiliary **"are"** comes before the subject **"you"** to form the question; **"when"** introduces the temporal clause **"when change knocks on your door"**.

• If you're an ostrich, you're probably really good at focusing on what you know, protecting your energy, and holding on to tradition.

  ➔ First conditional with *if* + present simple (are) + present simple (are); adverb *probably* for probability; gerund forms (*focusing*, *protecting*, *holding*) after preposition *at*.

  ➔ The adverb **"probably"** modifies **"you're"** to express a high likelihood; the gerunds **"focusing", "protecting", "holding"** follow the preposition **"at"** as part of the phrase **"good at ..."**.

• The next time you're at a crossroads or dealing with change, pause and ask, which animal is driving right now?

  ➔ Future time clause *the next time* + present simple (you're) to refer to a future situation; imperative verbs *pause* and *ask*; indirect question *which animal is driving*.

  ➔ The phrase **"the next time"** introduces a future condition, but the verb **"you're"** stays in the present simple; **"pause"** and **"ask"** are imperatives directing action.