Leadership

I heard a beautiful story about Mahatma Gandhi today.  Apparently, a woman had a diabetic son who would not stop eating sugar. Her son worshipped the Mahatma, so she felt that if Gandhi would tell him personally to stop, he would. So she took a three-day train ride to the place Gandhi was greeting the public, and then stood in line all day with her son to speak to him.  When she reached him she explained her desire, and Gandhi said “come back in six weeks.”  She was startled, and begged him, but he insisted.

She went away angry, but did come back in six weeks.  Three-day train ride.  Stand in line in the sun all day.  And finally stood before Gandhi, steaming mad.  “Remember me?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.  “Diabetes.”   He looked at the boy and screamed “STOP EATING SUGAR!!”

The boy’s eyes bugged out, and he said, “Yes, Mahatma!  Yes!”

The mother couldn’t believe it.  Enraged, she said: “was that it?  Why couldn’t you have said that six weeks ago?”

“Because,” he replied.  “Six weeks ago, I was eating sugar.”

What a man.


If you would lead, you must lead by example, or not at all.

Namaste,
Steven Barnes