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.
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later..
“Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back”
7 comments:
Honesty is the title of this story. Jim became a new CEO. It was unbelievable that Jim was chosen. Now I totally believe that honesty is very not only at schools but also at work places. For example, if one cheats while taking exam, one will get nothing from studying in a certain term. I strongly believe that in the real situation people will consider honesty as a prime. I love people who are honesty. My last word is "honesty builds success." From me-- Yorn Saren
On behalf of management level they do not only focus on outside performance of their employee but they might also need to be understood well about their employee’s mind, behavior and their reality activities. Thus, if we turn back to the story we can learn that, as a human being, we must be honest person even our honesty make us embarrass but we must remember honesty bring us to be successful at once day. Especially, in working environment honesty is very important to show our strong point.
Honesty is the title of this story. Jim became a new CEO. It was unbelievable that Jim was chosen. My idea i think that honesty not only have one place as seem as workplace, it should be have anywhere such as school, in whole family all companies and world wide let me example you knew that in big forest have a big tiger and some day your friend want to go these forest by he did not know anything you do not have honesty with your friend when your friend go there the tiger will hit him it is good or bad? when you knew, but did not tell your friend my opinion it is strongly bad so if you love someone do not forget the strong word that is honesty i like all people have honesty so much if anybody have honesty in their mind they will success all things in their goal as have one word said that 'trust word is never die'.
I did not have long comment here but i just want to express my idea that honesty is one of the important things of human life and to be honest can guide you to a good future.
Honesty is very important for everyone living, and it is superior of human too. If everyone always lie themselves and others. Their life can not successful forever.
Oh my God‼! I don’t know how to describe this because I do know some about business. Jim did a good job because he’s honest in his heart. The old CEO was right to test their heart. That’s why he became a successful businessman. I really love this technique because it’s a way to choose the right leader for his company. I think the old CEO doesn't want waste all his money.
Honesty is very powerful to change sadness people new life, after I read. firstly, I really surprise when boss appoint him a new CEO. Main idea imply that honesty make him responsibility and loyalty what he did. Furthermore, his honest make other people trust and believe without any doubt. Secondly, honesty is enemy of lie ,so most of successful person communicate with each other with lie. To sum up, honesty is very important way to success.
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