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 to 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
Officer! 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
Officer!”
* 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.
* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest.
* 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.
* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest.
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later..
“Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back”
Author Unknown
Story was submitted by visitor Madhukar
Story was submitted by visitor Madhukar
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