Insight-Values

"At a scene of an accident, a serious collision between a lorry tanker and a tree, where a tree branch had pierced through the lorry tanker's driver, and he was a screaming in pain. Then comes a policeman to the scene, whom got down from his car and ran towards the tanker. The policeman realises that the tanker is going to blow up. The tanker driver, was screaming "shoot me", "shoot me" at the policeman. The policeman pull out his gun, aimed, hesitated and puts it back. The tanker driver continued to scream. The policeman pull out his gun again (for the second time), aimed, hesitated and then puts it back again. Then he had an idea, he ran to his car, took out the fire extinguisher, not enough to put out the fire, but enough to make the tanker driver pass out. Yes, he sprayed at the driver, and few minutes later the tanker blew up".

This was a story told to us today during a discussion about personal values. The policeman is obviously torn between 2 conflicting values, saving a person's agony against his belief about taking a person's life.

Moral of the story is for us to find our true core values by reflecting them under extreme circumstances, what would we give up and do if we are to face the same. Some find it difficult, for some there is no problem.

"The leadership of change does not depend on circumstances; it depends on the attitudes, values and actions of leaders."

James O'Toole, Leading Change: The Argument for Values-Based Leadership

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