Trust your wings, not the Branch: A Lesson in Leadership
Not every axe that comes out of the
factory is sharp. But in the hands of a skilled woodcutter, even a dull axe can
become a powerful tool. He knows how to sharpen it, how to hold it, and how to
strike with precision. He doesn’t throw the axe aside and wait for the perfect
one to arrive—he has a job to finish before the sun goes down.
The woodcutter’s situation is not
unique. In many professions, the tools don’t always meet the worker’s needs.
Yet the best workers don’t complain or wait—they either repair what’s broken or
adapt using their own skill and ingenuity.
Now, let’s use this example to
understand leadership. A people-focused leader doesn’t wait for the perfect
employee to join the team. Like the woodcutter, they hire for character
first—and then sharpen the person’s competencies. They don’t hold out for an ideal
candidate who may never come.
Such a leader is like a bird perched
on a branch. The bird doesn’t trust the branch—it trusts its own wings. In the
same way, a great leader trusts not in luck or perfect circumstances, but in
their own passion for developing people. They lead from the heart.
And before ever telling others to
sharpen their tools, they first sharpen their own saw.
M.L. Narendra Kumar
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