Dandelions are hearty and can grow and flourish in both nice and harsh environments. Orchids, on the other hand, are delicate. In bad environments they shrivel. But in good environments they blossom.

1. Are you Leading
DANDELIONS
or ORCHIDS?

2. Dandelions can
Spread anywhere

3. and grow anywhere.

4. You can find them on rocks

5. and you
can find
them in
trees

6. and you
can even find
them in the snow.
Photo: Richard
Johnson

7. Dandelions are
attractive

8. and
strong;

9. requiring little to no care.

10. Orchids,
on the
other hand,

11. are breathtakingly beautiful,

12. and richly
colorful.

13. There are many
different types of
orchids; each one is
unique.

14. But orchids
are delicate,
Photo: Mars Hall

15. they require
a lot of
attention,
Photo: CMMooney

16. and the
environment
has to be
just right.
Photo: Ellyn B

17. Managing dandelions is easy.

18. They practically
manage themselves.

19. It’s much harder to
take a person who
has wilted,
Photo: Gabrielle
Ludlow

20. and to give
him attention,

21. and to create the
right environment,

22. until he blossoms into
something spectacular.

23. So Lead Your
DANDELIONS

24. And Inspire Your
ORCHIDS;

25. because chances are you’re leading
DANDELIONS
andORCHIDS.

26. Treat a man as he is,
and he will
remain as he is.
Treat a man as
he could be,
and he will
become what he
should be.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON

27. John Walters
From the War Room to the Board Room,
Leading is Caring.
The orchid hypothesis is used in developmental psychology to
explain why some children are more susceptible to their
environments. Given the same bad environment as “dandelions”,
these children do worse. But given a good environment these
“orchids” blossom and flourish, responding more positively than
even the “dandelions”.
Read a great article in The Atlantic by David Dobbs
David Dobbs is currently writing a book about the subject; it
should be out in 2015!
Unless otherwise stated all photos are from www.morguefile.com
created Sep 12, 2014