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.
“Whatever for?” asked the eraser.
“I am sorry because 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. And remember, never be scared to make
a mistake. There will always be an eraser around to set it right!”
If you think about it, you’ll probably recognize that our teachers
were the erasers early in our lives. We were the pencils, sharp,
pointed, colourful. And 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 then as we moved from school to
college and then to work, we found new teachers. But there is no
mistaking 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 protégé, 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 the mistakes that help the pencil’s work look good. People who
give up a bit of themselves to help the pencils get better. And most
importantly, leaders are the ones who give their subordinates the
freedom and the confidence to make mistakes – secure in the knowledge
that they’d be around to correct mistakes if and when required.
And there’s something else 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.
And yes, 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. Do that. You will,
won’t you?
About Author
Prakash Iyer is a best-selling author, motivational speaker and leadership coach.
He was until recently the Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark Lever and was earlier the Managing Director and CEO of Infomedia India Limited (formerly Tata Infomedia). Prior to that, Prakash was Executive Director at PepsiCo, responsible for the company’s operations in South India and Sri Lanka. He later moved to PepsiCo China as Regional Vice President. An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, he started his career with HindustanUnilever Limited.
Passionate about cricket – and people – Prakash speaks and writes extensively on motivation, leadership, teamwork and winning. His first book – titled The Habit of Winning – was published by Penguinin 2011. It was shortlisted for The Economist Crossword Popular Book Award, and has been translated into seven languages. His second book – The Secret of Leadership – was published in 2013. Both books are national bestsellers.
