CONCLUSION: CREATING
HIGH - COMMITMENT
ORGANIZATIONS
I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to
accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world
is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by
the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.
— Helen KellerThe future of organizations
A father had a family of sons who quarreled among themselves perpetu-
ally. When he failed to put an end to their disputes by his exhortations,
he decided to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disharmony.
One day, he told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. He put the bundle
of sticks into the hands of each of them in succession and ordered them
to break it into pieces. They tried with all their might but could not do
so. He then undid the bundle of sticks, took them one by one, and put
them into his sons ’ hands. They broke them easily. He then addressed
them in these word: ‘ My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to help
each other, you will be like this bundle of sticks, uninjured by all your
enemies ’ attacks; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be
broken as easily as these sticks. ’
This fable of the ancient story teller Aesop is a very good illustration
of the power of teamwork, an essential quality of high performance
organizations. The fable also illustrates the kind of leadership that will
be required to make organizations effective.