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.
