Which Way is Up? First Learn to Walk on Water

A short while ago, I asked the Operations Director of an increasingly large chain of restaurants in Asia this very question. He never answered. Many of us are probably in need of asking ourselves this question, hence this piece.

We have all heard of rags-to-riches corporate success stories -- tales of how often dreams grew beyond expectations amidst great fanfare and public applause. The brand becomes the talk of the town and then it falls victim to its own success. We often write songs and books on such extra-ordinary shooting stars but rarely do we concern ourselves about why the brand slid downhill. We are only interested in success and not failure because we think we can learn only from success and not failure? Wrong.

In most cases where failure is studied, you will find that the so called "rise" to success was based on one important factor. I'll explain by a short story that i read a while ago.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful salt doll who spent all her days dancing and singing in the meadows and showing off her beauty to all who would admire her. She enjoyed all her days happily discovering all that she had to offer but there was just one nagging feeling, one question that she kept asking herself and never quite got the answer to. I am lovely. I am beautiful. But who am i?

Once day as she danced atop a hill, she suddenly gasped in awe when she saw for the first time, this huge beautiful ocean spread out like a giant mirror below. Amazed, she ran to it and asked -- what are you O beautiful and mighty one?

Come in and you will know, said the ocean. So the salt doll went dancing in and experienced herself melting away. Just as the last of her was about to dissolve, she said, "at last i now know who i am."

When brands/companies permit success to allow them to forget who they are, what they are part of and where they belong, they are taught life's biggest lesson just as the ocean taught the salt doll.

Ok you say. So you're telling me to be aware that i am just as big or small as my customers want me to be. You are asking me never to lose sight of reality, to cherish my customers. But, do my customers really care about me and my business. They don't love me nor my business. They are not loyal so why should i be? Is love always returned? If you say yes, then what's the ideal way to love?

I'll answer that with another short story i heard at a retreat many years ago.

Many years ago, some missionaries set sail to an island on which lived a few tribal folk. The idea was to teach them to pray. After three weeks spent trying, the missionaries gave up. There was just no way to teach them prayers to invoke the Holy Spirit.

Soon the exasperated missionaries set sail but after a good hour away from the harbour they heard the tribal folk yelling from land waving the candle sticks they had forgotten on the island. Then suddenly, they looked in awe at the three youth run on the water holding up the candlesticks to return them to the missionaries.

The missionaries were astounded and asked them - what prayers do you say, that make it possible for you to walk on water. "We just look at the sky and say, 'we are three, you are three, please help us.'"

"Forget the prayers we tried to teach you and carry on with the way you pray," said the missionaries and sailed off, changed men themselves. Here's a good image suited to the story -