Fabula Para Managers

A Fable FOR

MANAGERS

The Indispensable Tiger
A powerful old tiger, the leader of his pack, was preparing to go on a hunt. Gathering the other tigers about him, he said, "We must go out intothe plains and hunt, for the winter is coming. You young fellows come with me; perhaps you will learn a thing or two." The young tigers were pleased to hear this, for the old fellow had hither-to shownno interest in tiger development. He usually left them behind when he went foraging, and they were tired of doing nothing but keeping order among the cubs and performing other routine tasks. The firstday out, the old tiger spotted a herd of elephants. "Here's your chance, Bernard," he said to one of the younger tigers. "Look at it as a challenge." But Bernard had no idea how to go about hunting.With a roar, he rushed at the elephants, who ran off in all directions. "It looks as though 1*11 have to do the job myself," said the leader philosophically. And so he did. The next day, the tigerscarne upon a herd of water buffalo. "Suppose you take over now, Jerome," said the oíd tiger, and Jerome, reluctant to ask sil-ly questions but determined to do his best, crept up on the grazing buffalo.He leaped straight at the largest of them, but the big buffalo tossed him to the ground, and Jerome was lucky to escape in one piece. Mortified, he went back to the group. No, no, no!" said the oldtiger. "What's happening to performance around here?" "But you never taught us how to do it," cried one of the young tigers. The old tiger was in no mood to listen. "The rest of you stay where youare," he growled, "and I will do the job myself." And so he did. "I can see," said the old tiger, as the others gathered admiringly about him, "that none of you is yet ready to take my place." He sighed."Much as I hate to say it, I seem to be indispensable." . Time brought little change. The old tiger sometimes took the younger ones along with him on hunts, and occasionally he let one of them try...