| Every manager knows that it isn't easy to get | | | | the couple by laying golden eggs. |
| people to bring their best efforts every day. | | | | "Mom and Pop were so delighted that they |
| Sometimes it may seem that you're lucky just to | | | | praised the two geese lavishly and rewarded |
| get them to show up for work. | | | | them with even more affection and food. All this |
| When asked for leadership development tips, I'm | | | | attention resulted in two more golden eggs the |
| not picky where I find them - as long as they | | | | next day. |
| work. One of the most unusual, although quite | | | | "The couple began to dream of riches. What if |
| powerful lesson for leaders, comes from this fable | | | | they could get all the geese to lay golden eggs? |
| by Aesop, "The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg." | | | | So they admonished and cajoled the whole flock |
| Here's the classic version. | | | | to follow the example of the two prized geese. |
| "A man and his wife had the good fortune to | | | | "The next day, no golden eggs were produced. |
| possess a goose that laid a golden egg every day. | | | | Alarmed, the couple lectured the geese about |
| Lucky though they were, they soon began to | | | | their duty to perform and warned of reduced |
| think they were not getting rich fast enough, and, | | | | rations if they didn't produce the gold. |
| imagining that the bird must be made of gold | | | | "The following day, fewer eggs were produced |
| inside, they decided to kill it. Then, they thought, | | | | than ever, and none of them were made of gold. |
| they could obtain the whole store of precious | | | | Worried that their future fortune was in jeopardy, |
| metal at once. However, upon cutting the goose | | | | the couple stormed through the flock with a |
| open, they found its innards to be like that of any | | | | broom, shouting at them and threatening them. |
| other goose." | | | | "When Mom and Pop went to check for produce |
| Moral: Greed destroys the source of good. | | | | the next morning, they saw that all the geese |
| To make the fable more appropriate for | | | | were gone." |
| managers, I created a modern, updated | | | | The moral of the story: A mistreated goose will |
| "remake"... | | | | not lay a golden egg. Know the true source of |
| "A man and his wife had a farm. They had a flock | | | | your profit, and nourish it rather than exploiting it. |
| of geese and made a business bringing the eggs | | | | In other words, this is a huge leadership |
| to town each day and selling them. The couple | | | | development tip: Your team members will lay |
| was known locally as "Mom and Pop." | | | | golden eggs for you, but only if they want to. |
| "Two of the geese were unusually well-tempered | | | | Develop, inspire, empower and encourage your |
| and the couple gave them extra affection and | | | | people, because the ultimate source of your |
| food. One day, the two favored geese surprised | | | | success is within them. |