Lean Quote: Unity is Strength

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved."   —  Mattie Stepanek

Once there lived a farmer in a village. He had four quarrelsome sons who used to quarrel with one another. The farmer was utterly sick of their cat-dog life. He tried his best to create harmony and unity among them, but all his efforts proved fruitless. His sons always turned a deaf ear to his took to his advice. This grief told upon his advice. This grief told upon his health and he took to bed. He wanted to unite his sons before his death.

“IN UNION THERE IS STRENGTH.”

One day he hit upon a plan to materialize his dreams. He had in his hand a bundle of four sticks. “I wanna see which one of you can break this bundle of sticks quickly,” he said. The eldest one tried first. The eldest son was the strongest, but he could not break it though he used all his strength. After that, each of his sons tried hard to break the bundle. None of them could break it. At last, they gave the bundle of sticks back to the old farmer, saying, “We cannot break the bundle at all.”

So their father untied the bundle and gave each son one stick. “Now break the sticks,” said the farmer. They all said, “That is very easily done,” and they held up the broken sticks. ”Now tell us why you asked us to break these sticks,” said the sons. “Do you not see,” replied the old man, “that if you all stand together, none can harm you; but if each of you stands by himself, you may easily be ruined like sticks”

The farmer had succeeded in creating a suitable situation to teach them a lesson. He advised them that strength lies in unity. As long as the sticks were united, they could not break them.

“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole world.”

If they were united like sticks, they would be strong and undefeated. But, if they kept on quarrelling, they would burn their fingers and opponents would crush them. They got the point and promised their father never to quarrel again.

Unity Story Morals:

United you stand, divided you fall.

The union is the strength.

Unity is Strength.