Teamwork story: Lesson from a wise man about growing good corn

Once upon a time, there lived a farmer who grew high-quality award-winning corn. Each year he would enter the state farmer’s fair and win a gold award for his exceptionally good corns. The rumor about his success has it that his father shared with him only one lesson before handing the farm to him.

And now the farmer’s high-quality corn was praised all around the state. The success story of his exceptional corn reached the ears of a journalist and he wanted to interview the farmer. While he was learning about the agriculture process of the farmer, he discovered that the farmer shared his best quality seeds with his neighbors.

“How can you afford to share your best corn seeds with your neighbors when some of them compete with you in the agriculture fair?”, asked the curious reporter.

“Why wouldn’t I?”, asked the farmer. “Didn’t you know that the wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from a field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior quality corn, cross-pollination would eventually degrade the quality of my corn too. If I am to grow high-quality corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn too.”

The farmer’s answer made the reporter realize how aware the old farmer was about connections in life.