The Seed
I was sent this story by a friend. Hope you like it:The Seed
A successful business man was growing old
and knew it was time to choose a successor to take
over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his directors or his
children, he decided to do something different. He
called all the young executives in his company
together.
He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose
the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.
"The young executives were shocked, but the boss
continued."I am going to give each one of you a SEED
today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant
the seed, water it, and come back here one year from
today with what you have grown from the seed I have
given you. I will then judge the plants that you
bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO"
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like
the others, received a seed. He went home and
excitedly, told his wife the story.
She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he
planted the seed.
Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had
grown .After about three weeks, some of the other
executives began to talk about their seeds and the
plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept
checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks,
four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now,
others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't
have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by--still nothing in Jim's pot. He
just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had
trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim
didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He
just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so
wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of
the company brought their plants to the CEO for
inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to
take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest
about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach, it
was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his
life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his
empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was
amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other
executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and
sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of
his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted
his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the
back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you
have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be
appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO
spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty
pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to
the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO
knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had
happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He
looked at Jim, and then announced to the young
executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive!
His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim
couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new
CEO the others said?
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave
everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the
seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me
today.
But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it
was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except
Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.
When you found that the seed would not grow, you
substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim
was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring
me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one
who will be the new Chief Executive!"
Remember...
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
If you plant hard work, you will reap success
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine
what you will reap later.
posted by Jim VAT @ 3:10 PM
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