James Keller is an American clergyman with some unbelievable insight that can be applied to our business. Look this guy up and read some more, but for today he said,

“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”

How does this guy know what we do? Precisely what we were talking about in yesterday’s 240 Pop. We talked about fishin. (Take a moment and scroll back on this website to read it if you missed it.) Fishin for talent and potential in our teams. Fishin for the One. Fishin is not always successful but when you reel in a keeper, it makes everything that came before, worth it.

Have you ever lit a candle just to see it blown out? Extinguished? Not melted slowly as it served its’ purpose but WHOOSH and it’s out! I am speaking metaphorically of course. The candle didn’t know it blew out. Just as you watch a student or co-worker just extinguish. It’s painful. They don’t yet know they blew out. Something steals their vision, their ambition, their desire to do the right things in order to progress and to succeed. As a manager you can try a couple of times to relight that candle and as a parent, you never stop but it’s really hard the second time.

My point? Ahhh yes, my point is that as a manager or a parent treat each candle and each fish tenderly and with great care. You don’t want to be the cause for the fish to get away or the candle to blow out. Those you touch, should be the better for it.

I hope you will Make today a great day.