Posted April 22, 2009 By Tony Miller
I recently read a story concerning the man who in the 19 th century was referred to as the “richest man in the world” – Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie was a leader in the industrial revolution in America and a great philanthropist. His example of unselfish prosperity is a living example to us today. He did not rise to great heights without lifting the lives of those around him.
When asked one day why so many of his managers had become wealthy and successful, Mr. Carnegie responded with this illustration. He said, “Finding greatness in an individual is a lot like mining for gold. When you go into the mine you realize that you will have to move a ton of dirt to find an ounce of gold. However, you never go to the mine looking for the dirt. You always go to the mine looking for the gold! That is the way we find the greatness in those we work with … we never go looking for the dirt … we move forward looking for the gold!
Our mandate as leaders is to “lift the lives” of those we lead! We must look for the gold!
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