Three Minute Leadership: The Time You Spend on Your Rose Makes Your Rose So Important
To: The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning
In his book, The Little Prince, Antoine de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is the story of a boy who has left planet to explore new worlds. He leaves behind him a beautiful rose whom he loves, and whose vanity prompted his departure. On his journey he meets a fox. The Little Prince is lonely and wants to play with the fox. But the fox says to him: “I cannot play with you, I am not tamed.” The Little Prince asks what does “tamed” means, and the fox replies: “It means to establish ties [to make friends]” adding:
“To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world … .”
The Little Prince and the fox make friends, but the Little Prince falls into deep despair on seeing a garden of roses that reminds him of his rose whom he left behind. The fox tells him to revisit the garden and see through different eyes from what he has learned. The Little Prince speaks to the roses:
“To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you … . But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; … because it is she that I have listened to when she grumbled, or boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is my rose.”
From this encounter comes a beautiful learning for great leaders: “It is the time you spend on your rose that makes your rose so important … . People have forgotten this truth, but you must mustn’t forget it. You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose.”
The fox said to the Little Prince: “Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye … . The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched. They are felt with the heart.”
Great leaders have learned and know the power and joy enjoyed in true relationships – selfless giving, caring, nurturing. They create and sustain bonds whose boundaries are limitless. Each is special and unique: “There might be millions of roses in the whole world, but you’re my only one, unique rose.”
On your magnificent life’s journey hold close the fox’s secret: “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched. They are felt with the heart.” Feel deeply and embrace the beauty and joy life holds … it is there … you need only open your heart to it. Life is so very good.
But if, perchance, your rose – be it a career, business, community or a person – causes you to leave your planet to explore new worlds, that is its choice. And it will bear the loss … of your greatness and the gifts you bring to the world. Be not sad. For you, too, have a choice: to rejoice in its gift of the new life that it brings – the things that cannot be seen or touched… the opportunities, adventures, joys and great learning. Remember always, the best is yet to come. The choice is in your hands. Choose wisely; choose well.
Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!
Mike
