Honesty

 

Honesty


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. "Wow! 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.

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap  later.

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