The Wisdom of Broken Cups: A Lesson in Leadership

A note to young leaders.

The cup is already broken.

The revered Thai Buddhist monk, Ajahn Chah, once hosted a tea party using rare, Chinese porcelain cups.

During the gathering, one of the cups was accidentally knocked over and shattered. The guests were mortified.

But Ajahn Chah smiled and said calmly:

“Of course. To me this cup was already broken. Because I already knew its fate, I was able to enjoy it fully while it was with us.”

As a leader, you will build many things – teams, systems, products. And then life will happen. A co-founder will suddenly resign. A system will fail. Your favourite product will be blindsided by a lawsuit.

Your instinct will be to tighten your grip, to wrap the porcelain cups in cotton wool. But surprises like these are not failures – they are the very design and pattern of life.

Lead as if the cup is already broken and something strange will happen – you’ll become wiser AND bolder.

And wise and bold is an unstoppable combination.