Looking deeper into Ruth’s story, up till now, the stories have
been about leaders and a growing or already large organisation but this story
comes down to employee level. It’s a tale of someone joining a new company.
Ruth makes the change successfully because she embraces the new culture without
reservation. Not only that, she takes advice from an old member of the culture,
her mother-in-law, Naomi. The lesson is that when someone changes jobs, they
should buy into the new culture and not hanker after how it was elsewhere. It’s
the same with relationships, none of which is perfect, and comparing the new
relationship with an old romance only serves to highlight shortcomings in the
new one, while romanticising the old. It’s better to enjoy a new partner’s
scones than tell them they’re not as good as Mother made.
That is not to say it is wrong to suggest changes in a new situation
but they must be made using the culture of the new one and not seem to challenge
it. Of course, if the new culture doesn’t accept suggestions, keep quiet, that’s
the culture!
What about Naomi? She didn’t try to hold Ruth tight and keep
her to herself but urged her to explore the relationship with Boaz; a
relationship which would elevate Ruth to at least her equal. In the end that relationship
would produce David, then Solomon and his wisdom. How that worked out teaches
us that we should not be afraid of helping those who are our juniors to climb
the corporate ladder or become stars in the team, they may take the company, or
the team, to greater heights.
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