What leadership quality would be at the top of your list? Many might say the ability to see the bigger picture – and rightly so!
The essence of this quality is encapsulated in the classic “stonecutter short-story.” It powerfully illustrates the importance of perception in our approach to what we do. Whether you think you’re just earning a living, doing the best at your job, or you’re leaving a legacy, this story demonstrates that there is great value in thinking positively and in seeing the bigger picture.
The Three Stonecutters “I am Helping Sir Christopher Wren…”
This version of the story illustrates 3 stonecutters who are building London’s magnificent St Paul’s Cathedral, designed by the great British architect and designer, Sir Christopher Wren.
“One day, after work on his cathedral had begun, Sir Wren unrecognised by the workforce, walked among the carpenters and stonecutters.
He asked one of the workmen:
“What are you doing?” “I am cutting a piece of stone“, the workman replied.
He asked the same question of the second stonecutter. “I am earning five shillings two pence a day”, the second workman replied.
He asked a third workman the same question, and the man answered, “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build a magnificent cathedral to the glory of God.”
A leadership quality might be seeing the bigger picture, but it’s essential to help others share that vision.
We Need Cathedral Thinkers
In this story the third stonecutter’s response illustrates a leadership quality which the others lacked.
Lets end this note with a thought provoking passage:
“Cathedrals are incredible testaments to human endeavour. It is not only their grandeur or splendour, but the thought that they often took more than fifty years to build. Those who designed them, those who first worked on them, knew for certain that they would never see them finished. They knew only that they were creating something glorious which would stand for centuries, long after their own names had been forgotten…
We may not need any more cathedrals today, but we do need cathedral thinkers, people who can think beyond their own lifetimes and beyond their own personal short term ambitions.”
