In great distress, he rushed quickly back to his bedroom, once again to be comforted by the sight of his orderly wallpaper. Lobel ends his fable by noting that from that time forward the crocodile seldom left his bed. Rather, he lay there, smiling at the walls, turning a very pale and sickly shade of green. Leaders are pioneers who possess great courage to think and act anew. Pioneers have always been individuals of great courage.
Faith is the very essence of thinking and acting anew.
There are many obvious morals and lessons that can be gleaned from Lobel's tale. These relate directly to Dr. Fanning's eighth Pillar of Leadership, Courage to Think and Act Anew. Like so many people, the contented crocodile was very happy and satisfied within the safe confines of his own environment. When he did venture outside, he put on dark glasses in much the same way as individuals close their eyes and refuse to see changes occurring all around them. Like the crocodile, atrophy and lethargy set in and such people lose their energy and vitality.