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HR PRACTICES AND PROCESSES THAT MAKE SUSTAINABLE VALUES STICK 49

The CEO’s Vision (continued)

S/he thought for a long time. S/he was open to what other people
thought and advised. S/he listened to her dreams. And then one day,
seemingly out of nowhere s/he was given the gift of a kaleidoscope.
And, of course, like most wondrous and magical gifts, this was not an
ordinary kaleidoscope.
It was a kaleidoscope of extraordinary beauty and exquisite crafts-
manship, though it looked quite plain when you first looked at it. The
materials were simple, but seemed unusual and atypical. There were
only four distinctive colors of glass that made up the inside soul of this
object. And yet, when these four colors moved together in an ever-
changing display of unique designs, it was almost impossible to say
where one color stopped and another began. It was as if the colors were
each distinct—and yet blended together in some indescribable harmony.
But as s/he began to use this kaleidoscope, s/he began to notice and
feel things s/he had missed before. S/he noticed how much others ben-
efited, when they too had a chance to put the kaleidoscope to use. S/he
noticed that the community around her seemed to become richer as
they all shared in the passion s/he had. And it struck her: How s/he used
this gift became as important as what s/he could do with it.
It was all so strange at first. From the beginning, s/he could see things
with the kaleidoscope that s/he felt no one else could see. And yet, when
neighbors and friends and even chance acquaintances picked up the kalei-
doscope, they seemed to see things differently. And so, using the kaleido-
scope, s/he began to commit to understanding how others saw the world.
And s/he began to commit to serving their needs as best s/he could.
The child’s desire to take what s/he knew and what s/he learned and
what s/he saw and apply it to the service of others was overwhelming.
People came from all over to be a part of what the child had built.
As word spread and people came, the child began to experience
things s/he had not seen before. One stranger advised that the child re-
place the expensive and rare glass pieces of the kaleidoscope with mate-
rials that did not need any care or maintenance. Another stranger came
to her and suggested that s/he make many more, similar kaleidoscopes,
so that many others might profit as well. And then there were so many
people that seemed to expect that the child service their needs, no mat-
ter what they were.
And at such times, the child would gaze into the special lens s/he had
been given, thinking about the numberless patterns it showed, until s/he
knew deep down the right thing to do.