The Heart of a Tiger
The Leadership Blitz
Monday, Oct. 12th, 2009
Today's lesson focuses on one of the most important aspects that all leaders possess: Courage.
A mouse went to a magician after a run-in with a cat. He feared the cat and asked the magician to turn him into what he feared...a cat.
The magician granted the mouse's wish and turned him into a cat. At first, the mouse-turned-cat was content. Then, he had a run-in with a dog.
The cat went back to the magician and asked him to turn him into a dog. The magician granted his wish a second time.
The mouse-turned-cat-turned-dog was again content...until he had a run-in with a tiger. He went back to the magician and asked him to turn him into a tiger. Again, the magician granted his wish.
Content once again, the mouse-turned-cat-turned-dog-turned-tiger went out into the world. This time, he had a run-in with an elephant.
Again, he went back to the magician and asked him to turn him into his new fear...the elephant.
The magician looked at him and said, "You know what, I'm going to turn you back into a mouse. Although you have the body of a tiger, you have the courage of a mouse, and I can't change that by altering your form."
With that, the magician turned the tiger back into a mouse.
There are a couple lessons to take away from this. First of all, leaders show courage. It takes a strong will to do things that others are unwilling to do. In addition, it takes a special kind of individual to encourage others to do what others are unwilling to do.
You can bet the world's most influential leaders do not approach any obstacle, struggle, or mission with the heart of a mouse. To be a true leader, your heart, will, passion, and determination have to the size of a tiger's. Leadership starts with courage.
The second lesson is the fact that it isn't always the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. The tiger, despite a size disadvantage to the elephant, had the opportunity to stand up to his fear instead of becoming it, thus growing as who he was and enhancing his confidence. Instead, he took the path of least resistance and became what he feared, thus putting him right back where he started...as a mouse.
Despite your past and all the things you can't change, what will you do to separate yourself and "run with the big dogs?" Will you have the tiger's heart or the mouse's?
Separating yourself from the herd and becoming a leader takes heart and dedication. "Good enough" isn't enough. If what you have is "good enough," then you've officially stopped growing. Never stop looking for ways to improve, and never stop developing the heart of a tiger.
"When you're green, you're growing. When you're ripe, you rot." --- Ray Kroc
Be the Best,
Jason Cercone
Internet Marketing & Home Business Consultant
412-965-8428
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