One day a young boy went to the store with his mother. The shopkeeper looked at the small boy, showed him a jar full of candy and said, “Dear boy, you can take some of this candy.” But the young boy didn’t take any. He just stood there and kept looking at the jar full of candy.

The shopkeeper was surprised that the boy did not take any candy from the jar. So, he again offered some to the young boy and told him not to be afraid and to take a fist full of candy.

This time the mother also heard that and said, “Son, take some candy.” But still, he didn’t take any.

The shopkeeper thought that the boy was too embarrassed to take any candy, so he decided to hand him a few himself.  The boy was delighted that he got so much candy from the shopkeeper. He got two full fists of candy from the shopkeeper, which was too much for the young boy to hold in his hands. He even asked his mother for a small bag in which he could carry all the candy home.

When the young boy and his mother returned home, the mother asked him, “Why didn’t you take the candy when the shopkeeper told you to take them, not once but twice?”

The young boy replied with the biggest smile on his face, “Mom! My hands are tiny, and if I had taken the sweets myself, I would have less candy than I do now!”

Why did the boy win so big? It was not because of his content attitude. For he too aspired for candies like most other kids of his age. Instead, he was rewarded for his unassuming demeanour and the calm way he approached his aspirations.   

Sure, every professional seeks financial/promotional growth, and there is nothing wrong with that aspiration. Unfortunately, it turns off our managers when we keep expressing it strongly in our body language. You see, our invasive approach may sometimes lead to small wins. However, when it comes to winning big, our aggressive approach invariably backfires.

“Attitude” is one of the key appraisal parameters of every dignified institution. Perhaps that’s why deserving professionals, who believe in themselves and trust their company, eventually lead their teams to win the long race!