I recently read the following illustration of inspiring leadership.

The story is told of a distinguished member of the British parliament who, in the late 1800s, travelled to Scotland to give a speech. On the journey, his carriage became stuck in thick mud on one of the rural roads. A young Scottish farmer boy happened upon the scene driving a herd of large shire horses. Without being asked, he set about dragging the carriage out of the mud and soon had it free ready to resume its journey. The parliamentarian insisted on paying the young man for his kind services but he refused the offer, as he was simply being a good neighbour and good neighbours help each other out when in difficulty. The politician was obviously impressed at the great attitude expressed by the young man and asked, "Are you sure I can't pay you for your time and effort?"
"Thank you, Sir" the boy replied, "but it was the least I could do for such an important person as yourself".

Challenged by the boy’s generosity of spirit the politician asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I'd like to be a doctor" he replied, "but my family does not have the money for that kind of education". Somewhat spontaneously, the politician responded, "Then I will help you become a doctor". Over the next few years the politician was good to his word and that young boy was able to become a doctor.

Nearly fifty years later, another famous English statesman lay dangerously close to death from pneumonia. Winston Churchill had become ill while attending a wartime conference and with the evils of Nazi Germany just a few short miles from their shores, Britain desperately needed the strong and courageous leadership that it seemed only Churchill could provide. Thankfully, Churchill made a miraculous recovery as a result of a new wonder drug called Penicillin. This drug had recently been discovered by a brilliant young doctor known as Alexander Fleming.

Fleming was the young boy who had pulled the carriage from the mud. The politician who promised to return the favour by sending that same boy to medical school was Sir Randolph Churchill, Winston’s father. The cocktail of two acts of kindness, one by an unknown farm labourer, the other by a person of power and influence combined to save Winston’s life and consequently changed the course of world history.

Most of us will not have the opportunity to make such a significant impact upon the world in how we choose to serve others and invest in unrealised potential. Though influential leaders of their time, it is important to remember that neither Fleming nor Churchill senior had any idea of the significance of their actions when they made the decisions they did.

Many leaders today are faced with the issue of when the economy will improve, and for some this will mean a shift in focus from survival to longer term investment in both business and in people. For those in positive contexts, as well as for those of us still pushing uphill, the above story can inspire us to serve as we would like to be served and invest in ways that may return in ways we cannot even imagine. Such is the return of service.

Phil Wall
CEO