There’s an interesting story of an imaginary conversation between a pencil and an eraser.
‘I am sorry,’ said the pencil to the eraser.
‘Whatever for?’ asked the eraser.
‘I am sorry as you get hurt because of me,’ continued the pencil. ‘Every time I make a mistake, you are there to erase it. And every time you erase one of my mistakes, you lose a bit of yourself. You become smaller and smaller. And just a bit dirty too.’
‘You shouldn’t really worry,’ responded the eraser. ‘I was meant to help you whenever you made a mistake, and I am happy doing my job. And I know one day I’ll be gone and you will find someone else to do my job, but while I am around, I take pride in knowing I did my bit to help erase your mistakes. Keep writing. Remember, never be scared to make a mistake. There will always be an eraser around to set it right!’
Give it a thought: you’ll probably recognize that our teachers were the erasers early on in our lives. We were the pencils—sharp, pointed and colourful. Every time we made a mistake, our teachers were there to correct us. They gave a bit of themselves—so that we could emerge looking just a bit better. And as we moved from school to college and then to work, we found new teachers. But there is no overlooking the fact that we are what we are today, because of those teachers, those wonderful, magical erasers.
That conversation between the pencil and the eraser could well be a conversation between a corporate leader and a protege, a mentor and a mentee. Good leaders never forget that one of the key roles they play is that of a teacher. Folks who help young managers become great pencils, who erase mistakes and help the pencil’s work look good. Most importantly, good leaders are the ones who give their subordinates the freedom and the confidence to make mistakes—secure in the knowledge that they are around to correct them and help them up if they stumble.
There’s another thing about teachers that makes them truly special. Their ability to look at every student, every child, and see the genius inside. They know that each child is different and that there is a unique skill or strength inside each and every one of them. I recall a friend telling me about an interaction she had with her children’s schoolteacher several years ago. The teacher’s words remain etched in her mind to this day.
My friend was worried about her second son, who wasn’t getting the kind of grades that his elder brother was. He didn’t seem to be studying enough, his grades were poor, his math skills were weak and, like any parent, she was worried about her son’s future. When she raised the issue of her son’s performance, here’s what the teacher told her: ‘Don’t worry about his grades. He’s an extremely popular, well-adjusted kid. You can’t expect mangoes to grow on a guava tree. Different trees bear different fruits. Enjoy each fruit. Parents and teachers—we are just the gardeners. Our job is to water the plant, give it nourishment and allow it to grow into a healthy tree.’ And guess what? Both those boys have grown up to be fine young men who are successful in their own right in different fields.
Good leaders don’t see themselves as people who manufacture a certain type of leader. They don’t try and make their team look ‘just like themselves’. They don’t force their own style on their teammates. Instead, what they do is allow the genius inside every individual to flower and find expression. They help other people become the best they can be. They recognize that mangoes don’t grow on guava trees.
And so every September when the world celebrates Teachers’ Day, maybe we should spare a thought for all leaders too—those fabulous, selfless human beings who make a difference to our lives. Let’s thank those men and women—all those teachers—who happily got a little dirtier to keep us clean, who didn’t mind losing a bit of themselves to make our work error-free. And who were happy to fade away and watch our work with pride as we moved on to newer worlds, and newer teachers. The pencils might get all the glory and acclaim, but it’s good to remember that it’s the erasers who made it all possible.
As a Teachers’ Day special, do yourself a favour. Pick up a pencil. And send a message to an old teacher or leader to thank him or her for being that wonderful eraser in your life.
After all, every eraser was once a pencil!
‘You shouldn’t really worry,’ said the eraser to the pencil. ‘I was meant to help you whenever you made a mistake, and I am happy doing my job. I know one day I’ll be gone, but you should keep writing. Remember, never be scared to make a mistake. There will always be an eraser around to set it right!’