There is so much talk about leadership these days. There is so much pressure on business leaders. So much is expected of them. The importance of the role of a team leader at work is so pumped up that many people begin to fully identify with it, leaving no room for anything else in their lives, and at the same time depriving other adults of the right to autonomy and being themselves.
Let's listen to the parable of a little star who wanted to ignite people so much. And about the wisdom of an experienced mother star who drew attention to one very important detail. Can today's business leaders benefit from this wisdom? I hope so...
A parable of a star that wanted to help people
A certain star from heaven decided to come to Earth to help people.
"A star must not get too close to the Earth." Your fire would burn her. You can give people from your fire, at most a small spark to burn in their hearts, said the star mother-star.
The star did just that: it sent its spark of stars to Earth and ignited thousands of hearts with star fire. People raised their heads, their eyes lit up, and joyfully announced:
- I will write a poem that will fill the world with love and beauty!
- And I will build a majestic temple!
- I will plant a beautiful orchard in a barren desert!
Time has passed. Sparkle sadly noticed that only a few became true creators, and the rest forgot about their dreams.
The spark returned to the star family and cried:
- My fire turned out to be too weak. So what if he kindled thousands of hearts since many of them have gone out over time?
"Don't worry, starlet" - said the mom star.
- You did what you could. With one spark you can light thousands of lamps. You did just that. But in order for the flames to never go out, each lamp must keep the fire with its own fuel.
What else can we learn from the parable of the star and the role of the leader?
Bertrand Russell put it this way:
One of the signs of an impending nervous breakdown is the belief that we are doing extremely important work.
And in the extreme case, what Luc de Clapiers de Vauvenargues writes about can happen:
The greatest misfortune is when a man of little means has great ambitions.
See also other coaching stories and parables:
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