The story is told of a tiger chasing some goats to catch one for dinner. During the chase the tiger is injured and as she is dying, gives birth to a tiger cub. The goats had never seen a baby tiger before, so they stopped running to watch and decided to make the motherless cub a member of the goat herd.
As the cub grew, he couldn't quite get the hang of being a goat. He didn't have the right teeth for chewing grass, and he liked to sleep in the trees. This made the goats jealous (because everyone knows that a goat cannot climb trees).
One day, another tiger found the herd and tried to catch a goat for dinner. He happened to see the young tiger, cowering in the brush with the other goats. "What are you doing cringing in the tall grass?" asked the old tiger. "Hiding from you", replied the younger. "Why?" countered the old tiger. "I'm afraid you'll kill and eat me", answered the younger tiger. The old tiger just laughed and asked the young cub to come with him to his cave.
In the cave, the old tiger exposed the young one to all the wonders of being a tiger-like eating meat instead of vegetables (up to this point the young tiger had only eaten grass and other vegetation). After a while, the old tiger showed the younger one just how much alike the two of them were. "You are not a goat. You are a tiger and therefore must act like a tiger. That's the nature of things", instructed the old tiger.
What Does It All Mean?
To accomplish something exceptional you may have to change your attitude and behavior. Many of us are afraid to face new challenges because we fear failure. We are comfortable where we are (like the goats) and refuse to risk failure in order to grow. We reject anything that is outside of our comfort zones or paradigms.
Think about it. When was the last time you intentionally did something in your business that was risky, uncertain, exciting, new, unexpected, or challenging-something that caused you to exhibit a tiger-like mindset?
To have exceptional success you must be willing to replace old routines, habits and paradigms with fresh and innovative ideas, newly discovered facts and a success mindset. You must step outside of your box. You must become a tiger-a magnificent creature who possesses beauty, grace and awesome power.
You are not a goat?You are a tiger whose successful mindset and positive attitude thrill and excite all who come in contact with you?You must act like a tiger?That is the nature of things!
Roy DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned executive in the financial services industry, has helped small business owners for over 25 years to successfully tackle overwhelming business challenges through his clear strategic perspective and a proven ability to evaluate the feasibility of goals. His guiding principle is that everyone, especially executive management needs to embrace one vision.
Roy is the President and co-founder of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, a Stamford, CT based human resources and organizational consulting firm to small and medium-sized businesses. He is a member of the National Speakers Association and is available to speak at management conferences and leadership retreats. To discover how Roy and the RADSGroup can transform your business, visit: http://www.radsgroup.com/