# The Seed



## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

In a world gone wild to succeed whatever the cost to others, this is a 
good reminder.

 The Seed

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

We plant seeds everyday whether we know it or not. People watch what we say and do. Try to plant good seeds and then nourish and care for them.
RT


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## Bonito (Nov 17, 2008)

What a great example for honestly. I work for a world-wide company. We employ over 30,000 people. The competition is overwhelming. I think all of the upper management should read this. 

Thanks for sharing RT.


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## 9121SS (Jun 28, 2009)

Great read RT. Makes ya stop and take a look at yourself. Thanks for posting.


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## DigDog57 (Dec 29, 2009)

awesome little story and so true.


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