They’re Not Against You, They’re Just for Themselves
A note to young leaders.
Three missionaries, newly landed and still pale from the voyage, hire a local man to take them by canoe into the jungle.
For an hour or so they sit in the wet heat and are paddled past a great deal of green. Then the drums start beating, and the drum sounds follow them downriver, village by village.
At last one of the missionaries, in the voice of a man who would rather not know, asks: “What are the drums saying?”
The guide cocks his head to one side: “Drums say: Three white people. Very rich. Raise prices.”
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There are three lessons here:
- Don’t be naive. The drums are beating well before you arrive at your meeting, and the message is seldom: “Here comes a great visionary.” More often it is: “Another sucker. Very keen. Raise prices.”
- Stop fearing the worst. Most drums aren’t declaring war. They’re announcing a price rise.
- Don’t get offended. People are not against you, they’re just for themselves.