Two men shared a hospital room. One was allowed to sit up in his bed beside the window for an hour each afternoon; the other had to stay flat on his back.
Every afternoon the man by the window would pass the time by describing all the things he could see outside the window. There was a park with a lovely lake, with the city skyline in the distance. There were trees and flowers and sunshine and clouds and all manner of people doing all manner of things.
As the man by the window described the day’s scenes, the man on the other side would close his eyes and imagine them. It was by far his favorite time of the day.
After the man by the window died peacefully in his sleep one night, the other man was moved beside the window. He pulled himself up slowly to take his first look in weeks at the world outside.
The window, he discovered, faced a blank wall.
Telling the story to a nurse, he wondered why his roommate would have described such varied scenes in place of the wall. And that’s when he learned that the man had been blind—he hadn’t seen the wall any more than the things he’d described.
When times are hard and challenging; we can best overcome our own struggles and limitations by choosing to give as leaders to others:
The more you give, the more you get. It isn’t the command-and-control way of leadership that wins the day. The best leaders get what they have by giving.
The more you care, the more they share. Encouraging others to contribute and collaborate, the best leaders know it’s not how much we give but how we give that matters most.
The more you serve, the more they are committed. Encouraging others brings about commitment, creativity, problem-solving, and productivity.
The more you celebrate, the more victories. Don’t wait for the conclusion of a big project—celebrate the victories, large and small, every day.
The more respect, the more trust. What goes around, comes around. The best leaders give respect and earn trust in return.
The more focus, the more strength. When you focus on strength of others, you are more likely to going to get more engagement from them.
The more vulnerability, the more power: Being vulnerable grants important benefits to those who stay open. The best leaders know the source of power is vulnerability.
The more struggle, the more grace. Loss saves us from ourselves and creates leaders. Leadership is based on the strength that is born from struggle.
The more authentic, the more transparent. Leaders who embrace transparency encourage others to work for their own authenticity and virtue.
The habit of giving enhances the desire to give. Do not concern yourself with how much you receive, just know in your heart it will be returned.
Lead From Within: At the end of the day, the leader who leads from within knows that there is no greater joy than doing something for others. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.