Cross Roads Strategies

Once upon a time, following a workshop on stress reduction, a wizard and five of his top pupils went for a walk in the enchanted woods. A sixth student, whom the others felt was an outsider, followed at a distance. The woods were a magical experience, filled with beauty and many animals.

As they walked, one student watched as a butterfly struggled to escape from its cocoon. In an act of kindness, the student cracked open the cocoon, freeing the butterfly to begin its life in a less stressful manner.

Down the path, they observed two rams cracking their horns into each other, becoming more and more aggressive. A second student calmly walked up to them and soothed them with his touch. They ceased their aggression and the group continued on their journey.

Soon afterward, the group stopped to watch the activity of a large beehive. In it, they observed one drone overly driven to work and on the brink of exhaustion (wizards and their students apparently have this keen sense of perception – or at least it makes for a good story). They watched as he ensured each egg had enough honey for growth and protection, as he showed the other drones where to collect the most pollen and as he took up his role to protect the queen. Admiring his sacrifice, another student removed him from the hive and placed him in a nearby honeycomb where the student felt this overly ambitious bee could enjoy a well-deserved rest from his frantic pace.

As they continued into the forest, they eventually encountered a frustrated monkey, trying to climb a vine on the trunk of a banana tree. They could see he was eyeing a low hanging bunch of bananas. The youngest, but most athletic student, cut the vine, created a lasso from it and roped the bananas, bringing them down for the little primate to enjoy.

The wizard watched quietly at each of these efforts by his students to assist these struggling friends of the forest.

They continued their walk, enjoying the fresh smells of the forest, the colors of the flowers and the miracles of nature around them. After a typical wizard lunch of assorted bark, nectars and fruits, the ensemble set back for their village.

On the way, they were struck that none of the animals they had assisted were to be seen. On their arrival home, they noticed great activity at the residence of the student who had strayed behind. As they gathered there, they joined a multitude watching as he nursed a number of weakened animals back to health: a monkey, two rams, a bee and a butterfly. Each of whom had been the recipient of the students’ efforts.

Bewildered, the students asked the wizard what malady had struck the animals who were so active such a short time prior. The wizard calmly explained, ”In your efforts to ‘help,’ you actually impeded the efforts that made each so special. The butterfly cannot fly unless he frees himself. It is the actual effort to try to escape that strengthens his wings for the rest of his life. The rams’ internal conflict is necessary to help them strengthen each other, to hone the skills of the other and to help them understand their weakness; otherwise, they become very vulnerable to competition. This bee had a servant’s heart, seeking only to make others more successful, and could not function without a purpose to see the hive more prosperous. The monkey ate only the one bunch of bananas, but became weak. He was learning to use the vine to be able to climb the tree to have access to all the bananas the tree produced this year.

"You see, my young apprentices, we do not always help others by eliminating those things that make us uncomfortable. Failure, innovation, dedication, personal attempts to grow, even internal conflict have a very vital place”

"Why didn’t you stop us?” they all asked.

The wizard replied, “…and how could you learn more effectively than this?”

The Lessons? In the business world,

- The butterfly is our staff, requiring the freedom to struggle and, with guidance, the freedom to fail to get strong.

- The rams reflect a productive culture…we need the freedom for healthy expression and conflict – even if it appears to inflict some pain; with it, all become stronger.

- The bee reflects those who care more about the organization than themselves. While some would rather focus on their singular contribution and self-promotion, the strongest recognize that they seek to raise up others. They need the freedom to support others, not just themselves.

- The monkey symbolizes the innate abilities in each of us and the need to use our talents to create new ways to solve problems. The freedom to innovate is difficult to cultivate, but easy to restrict.

- And the freedom to fail results in greater growth than any instructions. It instills a greater freedom to create one’s own accountability to eventually succeed and produce that will be greater than any goals or responsibilities instituted by the organization.