Taking Responsibility To Move Forward
Dhirasanta Das Goswami: Once there was a man who liked to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango available, from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are most exposed to the sun are the sweetest. So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin, he managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but in attempting to go back down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground.
Fortunately, he caught a branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help, they immediately came with a ladder and sticks but could do little to help him.
Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived - a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious as to what he would do, since he was very famous for solving many people’s problems in the area, sometimes very complicated ones. He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone, and threw it, hitting the hanging man.
Everybody was surprised. Hanging mango lover started to shout, “What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?”
Sage was silent. Then again, he took a stone and threw it so that it hit the man in the tree. The man was furious, “If I could just come down, I would show you…!” That’s what everybody wanted, that he comes down, but how?
Now everybody was tense, what would happen next. Some wanted to chastise the sage, but they didn’t. The sage picked up another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man in the tree completely flipped out and developed a great determination to come down and get revenge. He then used all of his skill and strength and somehow managed to reach the branches which were safe enough for him to climb down, and he made it! Everybody was amazed.
“Where is the sage?” - exclaimed the rescued man.
“Oh, he is a wise man, so he didn’t wait for you to beat him,” said the villagers.“I will really smash him completely when I get hold of him,” said the man.
“Hey, wait a minute, he is the only one who helped you, he is the one who provoked you, who induced you to help yourself,” said one of the villagers.
Mango freak stopped for a second, thought a little and admitted, “Yes, all your good intentions and compassion didn’t help me, but the sage expertly induced me to do my best and save myself, I should be thankful rather than angry.”
So this is an instructive leadership story. A real leader (teacher) helps you, sometimes in strange ways, to take initiatives in your life. You have to move forward. You have to make your best effort if you want extraordinary results. The best leader helps you to be responsible for your life.