LEADERSHIP- BUSINESS ETHICS
By Rod Alan Richardson
The Day Johnny Became a King
Little Johnny sat in the back yard in his secret fort sulking from the verbal lashing he received from his mother a few minutes earlier. He ran from the house and went to his hiding spot, which is what he usually does when things don’t go his way. It’s funny how people are so predictable in stressful situations; however, Johnny was about to experience an event that would change his life forever; he would learn a key lesson that would guide him down a better path.
“Things are not going so well at the Lemonade stand,” he said out loud in a half shuddered sob. “My sister’s just a dummy head… tattle tale!”
That morning, Johnny’s mother learned that Little Johnny was not being the socially acceptable business mogul she thought she had raised. In fact, she called him a madman in the heat of the debate.
“Those are big words for a little guy,” sobbed Johnny. “I not a madman… I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Now I’m sure that his mother felt justified when she learned that Little Johnny had agreed to pay his lemonade supplier each week, but he had not done so for six months; and, he started to steal the supplies when his vendor decided not to “give” him any more until he paid in advance. Little sister Janie had been working for free under threat of finding mice in her bed if she refused to do so. And, to top it off, Johnny began watering down his lemonade to less than half the proper mixture.
“People think I’m a cute little boy and they buy it from me anyway,” bragged Johnny to his little sister that morning. Those were his famous last words.
Little Johnny felt safe in his secret hiding spot. He curled up in a little ball and started to whimper himself to sleep. The events of that morning were replaying over and over again in his mind. The scenes began to replay so rapidly that all the events started to swirl together in a kaleidoscope of words, pictures and emotions until he was fast asleep and the world of his dreams became crystal clear.
In the world of his dreams, Johnny felt strangely at peace. The events of the day were not bothering him as they were before and he started to notice the beauty of the place in which his was. It was calm; it was quiet; and it was peaceful.
In the distance, he noticed a grey haired man sitting cross legged on the ground over looking a magnificent valley.
Little Johnny felt drawn to him and reluctantly began to make his way toward him. As he walked forward a couple of yards, something caught the corner of his eye. He stopped, looked to his right and saw a perfect lollipop still in the wrapper. Johnny reached down, picked it up and took a lick. The taste was beyond his imagination. He never imagined in a million years he could taste something so good. He continued on his path, sucking on his new found treasure. “And it was free!” he gleefully said to himself.
He no sooner started to walk when he saw five one dollar bills in the path at his feet. “Score!” he said to himself as he scooped up the money and plunked it in his pocket. “I like this place.”
A few yards more down the path, Johnny heard an exciting sound off to the left. It was a carnival tent. He immediately forgot the old man and ran as fast as he could to the tent. Just as he was about to reach the tent, he froze in his tracks. In the grass lay a young girl crying. He stopped for a moment, noticed she didn’t appear to be injured and ran to the door of the tent. “Five dollars to enter,” said the man at the door.
Johnny went right to his pocket and retrieved the money he found on the trail. “It must be providence!” thought Johnny. He couldn’t imagine his good fortune.
After a tremendous show, Johnny left the tent and decided he would continue on his journey. “I wonder if that old man is still there?” he questioned himself. The crying girl was now sitting on the path. She had stopped crying, but was sitting looking glum.
“What’s the matter with you,” Johnny asked.
“I was not able to go to the show with my friends,” the girl said flatly.
“Oh… well… good luck… It’s worth the money… the best show I’ve ever seen,” he said as he skipped off on his way. The girl buried her head in her legs and began to cry again.
Back on the main trail, Johnny noticed that the old man was still there. “This is the best day ever. Everything is going my way!” He pulled out his lollipop and noticed that it hadn’t dissolved even a little bit! The flavor was still as spectacular as it was in the beginning. “Woo Haw!”
Johnny was feeling on top of the world as he arrived at his destination. Standing behind the old man he contemplated what he should say to get his attention. He started to reach out his hand to tap the old man on the back, but just before his finger touched his back, the old man spoke. “Hello Johnny… I’ve been waiting for you.”
“How do you know who I am?” asked Johnny suspiciously
“I know everything about you Johnny… and I have the answers you need.”
“The answers I need?” Johnny shot back. “I don’t need any answers. This is the best dream ever!”
“Oh… but I have the keys on how you leave this place; the price to exit is your lollipop and a listening ear.”
“I can leave here any time… this is just a dumb dream,” insisted Johnny.
“A dream it is… but leave you can’t… not without the keys,” replied the old man.
Little Johnny let out an angry snort and stomped off a few yards. He reached down, picked up a pine needle and poked himself in the arm. “O.K… I can wake up now.” Nothing happened.
After what seemed like an eternity, Johnny reluctantly returned to the old man. “O.K… you win… here is the lollipop… I want to go home now.”
“It’s not about me winning Johnny; it’s about you listening,” the old man responded. He reached out and took Johnny’s lollipop and wrapped it in a white cloth. “Uh… you didn’t happen to find five dollars on the trail around where you found my lollipop did you?”
Suddenly, Johnny felt hot with shame. It never occurred to him that those things might belong to someone. Johnny feigned a laugh and looked at the ground.
“I sent my granddaughter to the circus tent with money and a lollipop earlier and I haven’t seen her. I thought it strange that you had the lollipop,” pointed out the old man.
“Uh… what about those keys you told me about… I just want to go home now,” Johnny said as he continued to look into the ground. He shifted his weight and kicked the dirt with his shoe.
“Johnny… the first key is to think through the consequences of your actions,” the old man started. “Can you see into the future? Can you map out the outcome of what you do? Do you like what you see?”
Before Johnny could answer, he continued on, “Money is earned in two ways… by expending your own effort, or by creating value. Do you know what it means to provide someone with value? If you discover the answer, you will discover the wealth of your dreams.”
“The third key is to evolve from selfishness to selflessness,” the old man continued. “Can you see events and meaning from another’s perspective? Do you care about others?”
“And finally Johnny… I want you to know that you are a prince,” said the old man.
“A prince!” exclaimed Johnny. “I am not a prince.”
“Oh but you are Johnny,” continued the old man. “Do you know what a prince becomes?”
“A prince can become a king,” replied Johnny.
“Yes Johnny. You may become a king… you like all people are born of royal heritage,” concluded the old man.
With that Johnny suddenly found himself back in his own world, in his backyard, in his secret spot. He felt some resolve from his experience and ventured out to begin his new day. He would face it now with a new perspective—with a choice about how he wanted to be known by others and the kind of man he wanted to become… to be a king… and to be a madman no more.
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