Here’s a question most leaders rarely pause to ask: 👉 What if the smallest voice in your team is holding the greatest weight of your success?
We love to celebrate the “elephants” of our organizations—the heavyweights, the decision-makers, the rainmakers. But sometimes, it’s the “ants” who make the journey meaningful, the “screws” that keep the system together, or the “strings” that carry the song.
Let me share 3 stories that completely rewired how I view teamwork and leadership:
🐘🐜 The Elephant and the Ant
An elephant and an ant crossed a shaky wooden bridge together. It groaned under their combined weight. When they reached the other side, the ant puffed up proudly: “Did you hear how WE shook that bridge?”
The elephant laughed, then paused—realizing the truth: alone, he’d still have crossed. But without him, the ant could never have made it. Together, however, the story was richer—and both had a role in it.
⚙️ The Clock and the Screw
A grand city clock tower dazzled with its chimes and moving hands. People admired its face daily. Yet deep inside, a tiny screw felt invisible. “One day,” it thought, “if I disappeared, no one would notice.”
So it loosened and fell. Within days, the hands stopped, the pendulum froze, and the once-praised clock went silent. All because of what everyone thought was “too small to matter.”
🎻 The Violin and the String
A master violinist prepared for his concert. The audience admired the violin’s gleam, the bow’s artistry, and the performer’s talent. But one quiet string whispered: “No one notices me.”
Midway through the song, the string snapped. The music stopped. The violinist lifted the broken string and said: “I may have the skill, and the violin its beauty, but without one humble string, the music cannot exist.”
💡 The Combined Lesson:
Teamwork isn’t about who carries the most weight or gets the loudest applause. It’s about understanding that:
- The ant reminds us that even small presences shape the story.
- The screw shows us that unseen roles can hold the system together.
- The string proves that without the overlooked, the masterpiece collapses.
🔑 The 3 Hidden Truths About Teamwork
📌 1. The Smallest Contribution Can Rescue the Biggest Project: Think of the clock and its tiny screw. Entire systems collapse when the smallest role is ignored. In organizations, it’s often the intern who spots the mistake, the assistant who keeps deadlines in check, or the technician who ensures the system doesn’t fail. Leaders who understand this stop asking “Who is most important?” and start asking “What role keeps us moving forward today?”
📌 2. The Hidden Danger of Overlooking Invisible Roles: The elephant may carry the weight, but without the ant, there’s no shared story. Invisible roles—cleaners, drivers, admin staff, back-office analysts—rarely get celebrated. Yet their absence is felt instantly. Overlooking them breeds disengagement and quiet quitting. The most dangerous leaders are not those who oppress—but those who ignore.
📌 3. How Leaders Unlock Harmony When Everyone Feels Valued: The violinist who lost a string could still play, but the song was incomplete. In the same way, leaders who value every string in their team create not just output, but harmony. When people feel seen, they don’t just perform—they contribute creatively. Harmony in teams is not about everyone being equal in function, but everyone being equal in value.
💡 Grand Lesson: Leadership is not measured by how much weight you carry, but by how well you recognize those who carry with you. When every contribution is honored, teams move from pressure to purpose, from effort to excellence.
Every person, every role, every “small” contribution matters.
“Great teams are not built by giants alone. They are built when elephants honor ants, clocks protect screws, and violins treasure strings. Every role matters—or the whole stops moving.” – Odhiambo J. Omondi
👉 So let me ask you: In your workplace, are you treating people like the candle, the screw, the string—dispensable and invisible? Or are you honoring them as the sun, the clock, the violinist—essential and irreplaceable in the bigger story of success?
#TheGrowthSeries #Leadership #Teamwork #EmployeeEngagement #CultureTransformation
Leadership Coach & Trainer | Culture Strategist | Growth Facilitator | Thought Leader | Founder @ILeadGrowth | Certified Facilitator Beyond Success Kenya | Motivational Speaker | Author of Broke No More & other transformative works | Mentor to Schools, Universities & Corporate Teams | Personal Growth & Potential Ignition Coach
