Beauty the blind horse

I read a lot of animal fables. Here’s one that I want to share with you. This one is from an anonymous source, but packs a heavy and important lesson.

One day, an executive from the city decided to go to the rural areas and spend a few days there for his vacation break. Unfortunately, he drove his car into a ditch in a desolate area. He felt helpless, knowing that he may be good with preparing financial reports and making five-year projection plans, but he’s ignorant about simple things like taking his car out of a ditch. He felt suddenly sad.

But a few minutes later, he saw a local farmer coming to help with his big strong horse named Beauty. The farmer hitched Beauty to the car and yelled, “Pull, Gloria, pull!” Beauty didn’t move.

Then the farmer yelled, “Pull, Ringgo, Pull!” Again, Beauty, his big strong horse, didn’t move.

Once more, the farmer commanded, “Pull Samson, Pull!” Nothing happened.

The city executive could not understand what the farmer was doing. But he kept silent, waited and observed as to what would happen next.

Finally, the farmer said, “Pull, Beauty, pull!” And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch. The city executive was appreciative and very curious. So he asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times before he commanded it to move using the right name.

The farmer said, “Oh, my horse Beauty is blind and if she thought she was the only one pulling, she wouldn’t even try! But thinking that she had three more horses with her, she readily obeyed my command.”

Now, I have a question for you. Have you ever encountered people in the workplace who wouldn’t even lift a finger unless they know that someone else has been tasked to do the same thing? I have.

Over the years of my business and consultancy experiences, I have encountered many people whose behaviors are similar to Beauty – the horse in our story.

Ask them to do something and they hesitate. They are not willing to be the first to try out something unless they know that someone else would be doing the same thing with them. This can be very frustrating.

Give somebody in the office a new assignment or assign him somewhere. He won’t budge unless he knows others are given the same assignment. Ask somebody to do something that has never been done before. The same people won’t unless they know that others are going to do the same thing, too.

These people lack the initiative to be on their own. They follow the majority thinking that there is always safety in numbers. What they do not know is that the majority of them will not succeed in their careers as fast as those who are willing to take the initiative and make things happen.

Business organizations do not promote the majority, but only the rare, the daring, the self-motivated risk takers who will later experience and enjoy success. These people are the ones who are willing to take the initiative and convert dreams and possibilities into realities.

History bears the fact that extraordinary men are those who do ordinary things extraordinarily well. While the majority drown in an ocean of mediocrity, the extraordinary people shine with an exceptional brilliance. The world is moved and changed by these people.

Don’t be a blind horse like Beauty, take educated and calculated risks. Take initiative and be self-motivated.

So if you want to stand out, do not constantly fit in and be invisible.

(Start the New Year right with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills as he present Level Up Leadership on Jan. 21-22 at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 09158055910 or call 632-6310912 for details.)