The leader and the gardener

Edwin was quite frustrated on that particular day and for a good reason. Most of his team members had performed very badly in their respective sales operations.

His immediate superior was so upset with Edwin that he shouted at him in front of all the other managers.

This was very humiliating and Edwin felt demotivated.

That evening, rather than going home, he went to the park to get some fresh air.

While he sat there on one of the benches, he noticed children playing and having lots of fun.

“Here I am depressed and disappointed. I have no motivation to go back to the office and there they are, the children - happy and carefree. I wish I was like them” he thought to himself.

Just then, he heard extremely loud laughter and when he turned around, he saw an old man seated in a small area that looked like a flower garden.

There was no one else with him and yet the man would smile and even talk to himself.

Intrigued by what he walked closer to the man.

“Greetings to you sir. I couldn’t help but notice you laughing aloud and then even talking to yourself! I felt like coming and speaking to you and asking if everything was okay with you,” he said. The old man stood up and greeted Edwin saw

Edwin

with a big smile and then began explaining.

“Hello dear sir. My name is Roger. To begin with, I am a gardener and have been given the job to look after this flower garden on a daily basis. I don’t charge any fee for my gardening work as this is my passion and it also gives me tremendous happiness. I used to work with a food manufacturing company and retired as its managing director a few years ago.”

Edwin was quite surprised to know that this old man was not an ordinary gardener but a retired managing director of an organisation.

“Dear Roger, my name is Edwin and it is truly wonderful to meet you and to see you follow your passion of gardening. Having said this, I had a question for you,” Edwin said.

“I noticed you laughing and even talking to yourself. What was that all about?”

“Oh that!” Roger smiled, “You may think I am alone in this garden, but I am not because all these lovely flowers and plants, and especially the younger ones are my lovely friends. I feel these beautiful flowers are very happy and motivated to grow when I speak to them in a kind and loving way. .

“I have seen having conversations, especially with the younger saplings makes them happy and inspired to blossom beautifully. I sometimes do the same with my students in the nearby university. I am a visiting faculty there and apart from my lectures, I also spend time with the students, have positive conversations with them and even laugh along with them.”

“Really!” Edwin reacted with childlike excitement and then a thought began taking shape in his mind. “Maybe I too should interact with my team members. I have been so busy with my work and my own professional growth and that I have forgotten about having positive and general conversations with my team members. If these beautiful flowers can respond so amazingly to Roger’s conversations with them, then my team members would surely do the same.” “Hey Edwin, what happened? You seem to be in deep thought.” Roger said.

“Dear Sir, today is a very special day for me as you have inadvertently taught me a very important lesson. As leader of my team all I was doing was dictating and delegating, but I never thought about having simple and positive conversations with them.

“My team members are like these flowers and just as you talk to them, smile and laugh with them, I too must do the same.”

Hearing this Roger added, “Dear Edwin, I too have worked in many organisations. Tere is one aspect which is the most important one leaders and managers must take care of and that aspect is motivation along with morale of your team members.

“Rather than getting upset and scolding at them for failing, conversing with them and connecting with them as a mentor will be far more effective in enhancing their professional and personal productivity. While doing this please don’t forget to also laugh with them and that is because life is about being sincere and not serious!”

That evening, Edwin had truly learnt an amazing lesson from Roger, the gardener.