FOODFORTHOUGHT

THE STORY OF THE SEED
By Francis Kong
August 18, 2010

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
boardroom. 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!'

End of story.

I have read variations of this story credited to anonymity but in
terms of lesson is worth repeating specially in a country like ours
that need to be reinforced with lessons on virtuous leadership.

Scriptures say whatsoever you sow you shall reap.

Plant honesty and reap trust.

Plant goodness and you reap friends.

Plant humility and reap greatness

Plant perseverance and reap contentment

Plant consideration and reap perspective

Plant hard work and reap success

Plant forgiveness and reap reconciliation

Plant faith in GOD and reap a harvest.

I guess the question is what are you planting now?

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