The enemy army was almost at the gates. The city would surely fall. The only solution was to get Akbar to lead his soldiers. Mansingh ran into the palace to fetch the emperor and found Akbar in the garden listening to Tansen. Birbal stopped Mansingh from entering the garden. The emperor did not want to be disturbed. Tansen's song ended.
Akbar asked him to sing another song. An impatient Mansingh said, "The city is on the verge of being destroyed and he is listening to music!
What's wrong with him." Birbal retorted, "He is not listening to music.
He is figuring out battle strategies." Mansingh retorted, "What nonsense, all I can hear is the notes of Tansen's wonderful voice. No strategies there."
Birbal laughed, "That is why you are merely a commander and Akbar is the emperor."
Wisdom comes from the oddest of places. Ideas can come from anywhere. The difference between a pathfinder and a follower is the pathfinder's ability to see similarities between even the most distinct domains - music and battle strategies, for example. Followers are unable to understand the underlying principle and so need clear domain-specific examples.
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