Summary: You do not want to be guilty of crying wolf. But you also do not want to say nothing and the wolf eats all the kids! Cultivate enough wisdom to know when to speak up and when to be patient.
Do you remember the story of the little boy who cried wolf? He cried “WOLF” when there was no wolf. The town sprang into action. However, there was no danger. They got burned. Yet the story gets worse. The little boy did it again. The townspeople sprang into action when they heard “WOLF.” Yet, once again, they were not needed. The little boy unknowingly conditioned the townspeople to not take him seriously.
Listen Up: A day is coming when you are going to need help in a big way. You will need swift action from your senior leaders. Do not cry wolf and ruin your reputation. Trust me when I say, exaggeration will kill your changes of future success.
Let’s change the story altogether. Now let’s imagine you are a shipmate on a boat. You are all alone in the bottom of the boat with one simple job: Keep shoveling coal into the fire box. One day there is a small leak in the bottom of the ship. The boat is taking on water. Yet you just keep your head down and focus on “Your Job”. As time goes on, the leak only gets larger. You wonder, “Shouldn’t someone do something about this? I mean this could get dangerous.” HELLO…?! Go get help. Bottom Line: You see you can be too bold but you can also be too bashful. If there is a problem, speak up but first get your facts straight!
You do not want to be guilty of crying wolf. But you also do not want to say nothing and the wolf eats all the kids! Listen to me: Cultivate enough wisdom to know when to speak up and when to be patient.