Are you the Sower or the Seed: A Question for Leaders

Are you the Seed or Sower: Reflections for Leaders & Coaches?

T. V. Rao

(tvrao@tvrao.com)

A sower went to sow the seed. Some fell on the rocks and did not germinate or as soon as they germinate the sun burnt them. Some fell among the fence and soon after they grew a little the fence suppressed from growing. Some fell on the fertile land and they germinated grew and gave fruits and shelter to many others.

 This parable has many lessons. Every leader is a seed. Without growth and germination, you cannot give shelter and lead others. In my interactions and even in coaching sessions I am confronted with many types of people:

Type 1: I am like a seed on the rocks. Most people around me are rigid with strong views and I am unable to do anything. I am simply breaking my head and finally I am giving up.

Type 2: I am surrounded by strong fence. Only their opinions are heard, and I have no say. I am not given an opportunity to show my talent and lead. I can even be better leader then them if only given an opportunity.

Type 3: I am happy to be in an organization where I can do a lot of things. It is very fertile and prepared organization to bring change and make an impact.

 My response to Type 1: Remember you are not merely a seed; you are thinking seed, walking seed, and talking seed. Think of alternative ways to break the rock. The rock may not be as solid and rigid as you think and it may be fragile rock or a rock of ice that needs a little heat and it will melt and change the surroundings to the advantage of all. If you still find the rock to be rock despite your talking, then walk away from the rock and search for a more fertile soil. If you are finding yourself on the rocky terrain all the time, introspect if you have a knack of going on to the rocks so that you can defend your non-germination or use it as an excuse for your laziness or incompetence. Examine the nature of yourself and since you are a thinking seed you can transform yourself to be a seed that germinates even in rocky terrain. How many plants have we not seen among the rocks and even on the rocks? Be one of them!

 My response to Type 2: Perhaps the fence you see around you are imaginary. Check your own thoughts and try experimenting by removing the fence. Fortunately for you, like you yourself, the fence around you is filled with thinking, walking, and talking plants. You can enter a dialogue with them and convince, negotiate and if necessary, even threaten of walking away to their disadvantage. They are perhaps living there by making others believe they are there to protect you. Perhaps they are being nurtured to protect you and they do not even realize that in their eagerness to protect you, they are not allowing you to grow. Think, reflect, dialogue and experiment to convert the fence into your support. If they continue to still cripple you, walk away. Do not go in search of more fences and plants to protect you. Go to free and fertile land as you are a thinking, talking, and walking seed with tremendous potential and possibilities.

 My response to Type 3: Good, you are lucky. You have made it. How about making it more. Causing more happiness to others and multiplying your type of seed that can germinate anywhere and help others. Build yourself to be self-multiplying seed. You can do it because you are not an ordinary seed. You are a seed that can think, walk, and talk. Teach others your experiences. Perhaps your story will tell others how you converted a rocky terrain into a fertile land. Or how you managed the fence around you and over grew to the current leadership level. Convert yourself to be a sower of seed. You can be an institution builder. and multiplier of talent.

 For Leaders, CEOs, CXOs, People Managers HR Professionals: You are both the sower and the seed. As a seed, reflect and attempt to be like Type 3 above. As a seed you should be excellent. As a sower you have even more responsibility to choose right seed, separate them from bad ones and ensure that they are planted in the fertile soil. It is your responsibility to prepare the ground or chose the ground that is fertile. Sometimes you are not even aware of the ground where you planted your seed. You may have mistaken the rocky terrain to be fertile soil or may not have even noticed the fences around the place you planted the seed. Once you planted your job is not over. In fact, it begins after you plant. You must be in touch and see how the seed is germinating and growing. You need to handhold until such time they become mature enough to grow by themselves and withstand weather and other fluctuations.

It is easy to be a seed (constant learner) and it is more difficult and responsible to be good sower, because, as a sower you should your self be a good seed and as sower  you should have nurturing ability, judgement,  empathy, compassion, and ability to convert the rocky soil into fertile place and remove the fences or work with the seed to remove the imaginary rocks and fence around them that is not letting them grow.

As a leader you are a thinking, talking and a walking seed and sower. What can you not achieve if you realize the greatness of a leader, Teacher, CEO, CXO, HR Professional? Whoever you are you could be more- because Human is a Possibility.