What’s this analogy of a Four Leaf Clover and your definition of EXTRA Ordinary?
Yes I call it…”The Fourth Is for Luck”
As legend has it, each of the leaves of the four leaf clover represents something: the first leaf is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love, and that uncommon fourth leaf is for luck.
I personally have never found a four leaf clover, it is estimated that the ratio of three-leaf clovers to four-leaf clovers is 10,000 to 4.
The four-leafed clover is a break-with. It doesn’t play by the genetic rules of clovers. Some say that a recessive gene causes the extra leaf. Others say that environmental factors create the anomaly.
I like the four-leaf clover because it’s different—it charts new territory. And it’s also the perfect metaphor to describe the critical elements of success.
In an organization, the first leaf of the clover represents vision. It’s the destination—a point in the future to work toward.
The second leaf represents planning—crafting out the details of how the organization will get from where it is today to where it wants to be.
The third leaf represents executing—making sure daily actions move the organization closer to the desired destination. Lots of organizations implement the first three leaves. They establish a vision; generate large, complex strategic plans; and check their progress along the way.
But many fail to implement the fourth leaf—the one that brings luck—and that is adjusting. Rigidity equals failure. Organizations that cannot adjust, flex, and change to the dynamics that are constantly swirling around them will never achieve their full potential or full success.
It’s the fourth lucky leaf of adjusting—the break with the common clover—that I have found to be a catalyst for success.
