There once was a queen who was eating rice cakes and honey with her chief advisor on her balcony. A drop of honey landed on the balcony railing as the queen was pointing at something in the distance. Her advisor asked if he should call a servant to clean it up, but the queen only laughed and told him that it was not her problem. “It is only a drop of honey and someone will clean it later.”
As they continued eating and chatting the honey began to slowly fall to the busy street below. Once again, the advisor called attention of the queen to the honey now fallen into the street and “is now attracting flies. Shall I call for a servant.” Just as before, the queen sluggishly replied, “A little drop of honey swarmed by a few flies is not my problem.” She added, “Someone will deal with it later.”
Soon, a lizard rushed out from underneath the palace wall and began to catch flies with its tongue. Then a cat sprang from a nearby bakery, ready for fun! The two animals batted each other back and forth like toys until suddenly, an angry butcher’s dog came charging at them and began biting the cat. The advisor now reminded the queen that the flies attracted a lizard, which then attracted the cat who is now being attacked by a dog. Yet again, the queen stretched and shook her head. She told her advisor to relax, “Those silly fighting animals are not my concern.”
When the baker saw a dog attacking his cat he ran out with his rolling pin and began hitting the dog. When the butcher heard his dog’s cry, he ran out with his broom and started hitting the baker. The butcher and baker began fighting each other The other shopkeepers nearby took sides and joined the fight. When the soldiers came along, some of them knew the butcher while others knew the baker. They too took sides, and the battle just grew and grew in the streets.
People began throwing rocks at the windows, tipping over carts, hurdling a torch through a window, a fire raged and spread to the palace. The queen and her advisor were escorted out of the palace into the street below. Later that day when the fire had died out, surveying what remained of their land she stopped in front of where her balcony once stood and noticed a small puddle on the ground. She realized that it was honey and told herself that she should have cleaned it from the start. Now, all her kingdom was lost because of a drop of honey. From that day on, the queen never said, “It’s not my problem!”
An effective leader should have the right mindset to act accordingly to whatever situation arises. When he does not, the suffering can be organization-wide like in the example of the queen in the story. Learning to listen and consider what others are suggesting is one of the greatest skills that all leaders should possess. Caring for the people working with you is essential to effectively lead them towards greatness. Seeking to resolve issues early will produce greater gain.
George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.