There was a successful business man who was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.  Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.” The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued.  “I am going to give each one of you a seed today, a very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with the plant you have grown. I will then judge the plants that you bring. The one I choose will be the next CEO.” 

 

One man named Jim was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil, and compost. They planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants. Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Jim’s pot. He figured he had killed his seed. Everyone else talked about their trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He really wanted the seed to grow.

 

A year finally went by and it was time for everyone to bring their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life. However, Jim was secure enough within himself to do what was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. He was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed. A few actually felt sorry for him.

 

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!” All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He asked Jim to come to the front of the room. Jim was terrified.

 

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. All of you, except Jim, have brought me beautiful trees, plants, and flowers. Unfortunately, when you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.

 

The CEO looked at Jim, and then made an announcement to the young executives. “Here is your next CEO. His name is Jim!” Jim could not believe it. He wasn’t even able to grow his seed. “How could he be the new CEO?” the others asked. To that the CEO replied “I gave you all boiled seeds. They were dead. It was not possible for them to grow. Therefore, Jim is the one who will be trusted as the new CEO.”