There was once a pyramid of ants
On the top sat the king
And on the bottom the soldier ants
One day the ants on the bottom
Seeing rising ground water
Tells the ants just above
"Get off my back so I can escape!"
The ants just above refuses
Thinking if they let them go
They'll be on the bottom to deal with it
So they tell the ants just above
"Get off my back so I can escape!"
The ants just above refuses
Thinking if they let them go
They'll be on the bottom to deal with it
So they tell the ants just above
"Get off my back so I can escape!"
And so on all the way up
To the last two ants just below the king
Unable to ask the king to get off
Says instead
"Sire. There is rising honey at the bottom.
Be the first to claim it."
So the king gets off
And all the ants scatter
From top to bottom
With only the king standing
Dumbfounded
Just like so many
Top CEOs and leaders
Who only lend ear to those
Right below them
Until it is too little
Too late
