There is an old story of two salesmen sent by their shoe company to a remote place in Africa. It was the days before internet. It was the days before air travel. Their task was to assess the viability of opening a shoe store there, and report back to corporate.
When they got there and saw the situation, one sent a telegram (fastest way to send a message at the time): “No possibilities here STOP Nobody wears shoes. FULL STOP.
The second salesmen also evaluated the situation and sent a telegram. But his read: “Great possibilities here STOP People don’t have shoes yet FULL STOP
Both were seeing the same situation. Yet, the way they responded was completely different. One saw an impossibility. The other saw opportunity.
Next time you are tempted to label a situation, or a person as hopeless or impossible, consider taking a second look. Look for the opportunity or possibility present. With the right attitude, it’s almost always there.
As a leader, your can choose to see. . .
- the positives
- the strengths
- what can be done to fix the negatives
- the good exceptions
You control what you see and how you see it. Ignoring what's wrong can be as deadly as ignoring possibilities. But you are in charge of deciding what your focus will be. Choose wisely!
I would love to know what you think, so please share your thoughts with your fellow readers and myself.
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Photo by: Alyssa L. Miller