There was an old man who lived in a village in India.

Every morning, he would place a long stick across his back

Hang a water pot from each end

And walk several miles to the river to get fresh water for his family.

But the two water pots were not the same…

One had a series of small cracks in its side, causing it to leak.

The old man would fill both pots at the river, but by the time he got back to his home, the cracked pot would be half empty, the water having leaked out during the walk.

The cracked pot grew increasingly ashamed.

One day, while the old man filled the two pots at the river, the cracked pot spoke to him.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so embarrassed that I can’t do my responsibilities as well as the other pot.”

The old man smiled and replied, “On the walk home today, rather than hanging your head in shame, I want you to look up at the side of the path.”

The cracked pot agreed to do as the old man asked.

As they left the riverbank and started on the path…

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

On his side of the path was a beautiful row of flowers.

“You see,” the old man said, “I’ve always known you had cracks, so I planted flower seeds along your side of the path.

Each day, your cracks helped me water them.

And now, I pick these flowers to share their beauty with the entire village..

It’s a famous story.

Shared by thousands.

But there’s a deep, deep truth to it:

Any given team is made up of mostly cracked pots.

People who see their flaws way more clearly than their strengths.

But a real leader doesn’t try to fix all the cracks. They look at each person and ask: What seeds (in my business, in my practice, on my sales team, etc.) can their specific flaws help our mission?

Leaders put people in places where their flaws become features.

….And if they can’t?

“Then the best thing you can do is help someone find the path where they will. No one gets it right all the time. It’s part of the game. The hardest part is always the people.” – The Peak Orthodontic Practice.

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