I’ve spent so many years in school, this week doesn’t feel like the end of summer. If feels like a new year.
You know, the one that comes with sharpened pencils, new penny loafers, and a new notebook to signal a brand-new start.
This season also comes with a reminder about talent I believe applies to lots of people today. In fact, I know it does because when I talk about this in my speeches, people seek me out later – in tears.
It comes from a dissertation by a friend, John Radar. John selected six people known for the important contributions they made to the world. He gathered their elementary school records if any were available. Since some were historical figures and no actual records could be located, he created them using biographies and other accounts of their lives.
He included information about their physical health, intellectual ability, family relationships, genetics, social skills, emotional maturity and goals in life and labeled each record with a fictitious name.
Then, he assembled groups of school administrators, teachers and parents to review the records and select two for a special gifted and talented program. Each study participant made their selection and then the group arrived at a consensus. When the group decision was final, the records were “unblinded” and the real names revealed.
Eleanor Roosevelt was not among the two selected. Study participants viewed her as unsuitable because she was shy and withdrawn, her father was alcoholic and her stated life goal – to help people – was “soft.”
Abraham Lincoln was rejected because he lived in poverty with a single-parent and had a disease, Marfan’s Syndrome, known to shorten lifespan. The arts, generally, were not valued which is why Isadora Duncan didn’t make the cut.
The two selected children excelled at the traditional “three R’s.” One was a boy who completed a PhD in Math as a teenager and the other was Bill Bradley, who was not yet a Senator but at that point a Rhodes Scholar and professional basketball player.
Kinda breaks your heart, doesn’t it?
Each one of those rejected contributed a genius to the world:
- Eleanor Roosevelt showed us the value of emotional intelligence.
- Abraham Lincoln taught us the value of persistence in the face of loss and how to heal a nation.
- Isadora Duncan demonstrated that the arts have an important place in our soul.
Might you – or one your children – be graced with genius like this?
If so, I hope it’s been recognized and is being nurtured by the connections in your networks today.
Your comments are greatly appreciated. Please let us know how we are doing!
Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com
Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com
574.361.2674
Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.
By Glenna Crooks, Ph.D., noted executive, speaker, problem-solver (www.glennacrooks.com), SageMy™Life founder and author of The Network Sage: Realize Your Network Superpower,