aadi INDIA

"The greatest battles of life are fought out daily in the silent chambers of the soul."

"Reading a book can sharpen your axe and help you to leadership success"

A few years ago while, I was told this story of a very strong and skilled woodcutter who asked for a job with a timber merchant. He got the job with a good salary and decent work conditions. And so, the woodcutter was determined to do his best for the boss. His boss gave him an axe and on his first day, the woodcutter chopped down 15 trees. The boss was pleased and said, “Well done, good work!”

Highly motivated, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 13 trees. The third day, he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring down 11 trees. Day after day, he tried harder but cut down a smaller number of trees. “I must be losing my strength,” the Kayan man thought. He apologised to the boss, claiming he could not understand why.

“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked.

“Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been too busy cutting down trees…”

He sharpened his axe and immediately was back to felling 15 trees a day. And since that conversation, he begins the day by sharpening his axe.

Sharpening the axe is a daily inner internal battle. Research reveals that self-educated presidents like Dr. Rajendra prasad sharpened their axe daily by cultivating the discipline of reading.

Great leaders, like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs have a continuous appetite for learning and growth. They always listen and watch in the hope of learning new ideas and discovering new truths and realities.