Leadership story: The seeds of future leaders

Once upon a time, in a prosperous city, there lived a wise and successful businessman who had built a large and respected company. As he grew older, he realized that it was time to choose a successor who would carry on his legacy. However, instead of choosing a family member or a senior executive, he wanted to find someone truly deserving, someone with integrity, wisdom, and the right values to lead the company forward. One day, he gathered all the young executives in his company. The room was filled with ambitious and talented individuals, each hoping to prove their worth. The businessman stood before them and spoke with a calm yet powerful voice. “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO,” he announced, looking at the eager faces before him. “I have decided that one of you will take my place. However, I will not base my decision on past performance or seniority. Instead, I have a test for you.” A murmur of curiosity filled the room. The businessman then held up a small bag filled with seeds. “Each of you will receive one seed today,” he continued. “These are special seeds. I want you to take them home, plant them, water them, and care for them. In exactly one year, I want you to bring back what you have grown from your seed. Based on what you bring, I will choose the next leader of this company.” The young executives were both excited and puzzled. A test that involved growing plants? It seemed unusual, but they were eager to prove themselves. Among them was a hardworking man named John. He received his seed with great enthusiasm and hurried home to share the news with his wife. She smiled and helped him find a good pot, fill it with rich soil, and plant the seed carefully. John watered it every day and placed it near the sunlight, waiting for it to sprout. After a few weeks, John noticed that nothing had happened. While he waited patiently, his colleagues at work began boasting about the plants they had grown. Some had small sprouts, while others had tall, healthy shoots. Every conversation in the office was about whose plant was growing the fastest and the tallest.

John, however, saw no change in his pot. The soil remained undisturbed, with no leaves or stems pushing through. He felt anxious and discouraged. “What if I’m doing something wrong?” he wondered. He checked the soil, adjusted the watering schedule, and even moved the pot to different spots for better sunlight, but nothing worked. Months passed, and the excitement in the office grew as the other executives’ plants flourished. Some had large leafy plants, while others had small trees beginning to form. John, however, still had an empty pot. He felt like a failure. “Maybe I wasn’t careful enough,” he thought. He considered getting a new seed and secretly replacing it, just as some of his colleagues had whispered about doing. But deep down, something in John resisted the idea. He had promised to care for the seed he was given, and he had done exactly that. Changing it now would be dishonest. “If my seed wasn’t meant to grow, then I have to accept that,” he told himself. Finally, the year passed, and the big day arrived. Each executive proudly carried their plants to the company’s main hall, where the businessman was waiting. The room was filled with pots of vibrant flowers, small trees, and tall leafy plants. John, however, stood nervously in the back with his empty pot. He felt embarrassed and feared that he would be ridiculed. Some of his colleagues looked at his pot and whispered to each other, shaking their heads. A few chuckled quietly, mocking his failure. When the businessman entered, he smiled as he observed the beautiful plants in the room. “You have all done well,” he said. Then, his eyes scanned the room until they landed on John, standing awkwardly in the back with his empty pot. He motioned for John to come forward. John’s heart pounded as he walked toward the front. “This is it,” he thought. “Not only will I not be CEO, but I’ll probably be fired for failing.” The businessman turned to the room and, with a serious expression, addressed the crowd. “A year ago, I gave each of you a seed and asked you to plant it, care for it, and bring back what you had grown. What you did not know,” he continued, “is that the seeds I gave you were cooked. They were dead. It was impossible for them to grow.”

A wave of shock spread through the room. Many executives looked at their plants in confusion and guilt. The businessman smiled and placed a hand on John’s shoulder. “Yet, look around this room. You all brought me trees, flowers, and plants. Only one person had the honesty and courage to return with the truth.” Turning to John, he said, “This man, who stood by his principles and did not cheat, is the only one worthy to be the next CEO.” John’s eyes widened in disbelief. The other executives lowered their heads in shame. They had replaced their seeds, fearing failure, but in doing so, they had failed the true test, the test of honesty. As John stood there, still processing what had happened, the businessman addressed the group one last time. “Honesty is the most valuable quality in a leader. Without it, success is meaningless. Many of you wanted to succeed so badly that you were willing to cheat. But leadership is not about deception it is about integrity, responsibility, and trust.” That day, John learned an unforgettable lesson that sometimes, doing the right thing might seem like failure at first, but in the end, it is the greatest success of all. From that moment he was appointed as the new CEO and he led the company with wisdom and honesty, ensuring that truth and integrity were the foundation of everything they did. And so, the seed that never grew became the seed that changed everything.