Monday, April 16, 2007

Leadership from The Vaults

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING APRIL 16, 2007

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."
~ Robert Frost

TIMELY ADVICE?

On the playground of any school, and on any day, you can witness examples of children playing "follow the leader." One hops, skips, or jumps, and all the others follow. As adults, however, many of them play a variation of that game - called "follow the follower."

On the job, they look around, see how someone else is doing their work, and duplicate the effort. What they don't realize is that their fellow employee is also watching someone else. A circular game of "follow the follower" evolves, resulting in a mediocre work force. The same can be true in marriages, education, hobbies, and sports.

Consider the story of a telephone operator in a small town. Every day she received a call from a gentleman asking for the correct time. One day, she finally asked the mystery caller who he was and why he called every day. His answer? "I'm the one who blows the whistle at the factory each day at noon. I like to be right on time!" The operator laughed and then responded, "Here at the telephone company, we set our watches and clocks by the noon whistle at the factory!"

Tired of playing follow the follower? Want to rejuvenate your life? Begin acting like the unique person you already are. See what everyone else is doing . . . and do something different. Strike out in the direction of your own imagination instead of theirs.

In the words of Henry David Thoreau "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined."

(Originally published April 21, 2003)

posted by The Office Grapevine at 3:28 PM  

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