Lessons from a shark

As is well known, the Japanese love fresh fish. Such has been Japan’s fascination with eating fresh fish that, for many years now, there’s hardly any fish to be found in the waters off Japanese shores. So the Japanese fishermen came up with a solution. They built bigger boats and went farther from the shore to catch fish. Unfortunately, this created another problem. The farther they went to fish, the longer it took them to get back to the shore. By the time they got back, the fish was stale. And the Japanese, well, they like their fish fresh.So the fishermen came up with another solution. They installed fish tanks on the boat! They would catch fish from the sea and put them into the tank. So they could now take back fresh fish! But that was not to be either. As the tank got stuffed with fish, the fish would flap around a bit, then get lazy and lie resigned to their fate. Motionless. Inactive. Dull.And the Japanese could tell the difference. They wanted fresh fish, not sluggish fish! Even as a seemingly insurmountable crisis loomed over the Japanese fishing industry, the wise fisherfolk came up with yet another innovative solution. They still had to sail out a long distance. And they still had the same boats and the same fish tanks. But there was one difference. In each tank, the fishermen put in a small shark. The shark kept the fish active, running around, busy. Sure, the shark ate a few fish but the threat of the shark kept the other

fish active and healthy. The challenge ensured that none of them could afford to lie still. As a result, what eventually reached the shore was fresh, active fish. And the Japanese loved it! We are like fish too. We need that shark to stay sharp. In case you or your organization is slowly slipping into the comfort zone, it may be a good idea to bring in a shark. If you are Coke, invent a Pepsi. Remember, the shark may eat some fish but that’s a small price to pay for keeping the rest of them active. Get your shark. Today!