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!"
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.
(ONLINE FORWARDED MESSAGE)