The Seed

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to chose 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.

"It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO," he said. "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 - a 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.

Every day, 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, "Here is 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.

Regards,

Prashanth Reddy

From India, Hyderabad
a wonderful message to be practiced in these days where it is difficult to find the honesty.People will do any thing to get up in the ladder,but finally honesty is the best policy

An old story of a King with new version of CEO.

But nice story :!: :) Any way, whoever it may be the more Important is moral :P

The smilar story I read was at :arrow: http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories/mis25.asp#plant

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PLANT !!

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 victory.

If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.

If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.

If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

But

If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.

If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.

If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.

If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.

If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.

If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.

If you plant greed, you will reap loss.

If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.

If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.

If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

So be careful what you plant now, It will determine what you will reap tomorrow, The seeds you now scatter, Will make life worse or better, your life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

TRs

Aliasgar P

From India, Madras
Dear friend,
its stories like these that keep the world going on in the right direction.
very inspirational and definitely strenghtens our beliefs in the basic value system we have imbibed from our parents
thanks
Vini

From India, Mumbai
Thank you all for your wonderful comments.
A special one to Peer Sardhar for using this wonderful story in an appropriate way on the wonderful occasion.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Regards,
Prashanth Reddy

From India, Hyderabad
excellent and very motivating story in todays world where people don’t think twice over stepping on other’s grave to climb higher :!: :!: :!:

Hi Prashanth Reddy, Really wonderful. The story really makes the readers to get motivated by themselves and also make to think more. Really superb. Keep it up. Regards, Rengarajan.T :D
From France, Versailles
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