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I recently came across this graphic, 10 Things That Require Zero Talent, and, well…let’s just say, it ministered to me! I guess because at this particular time in my life, I have 13-year old twins…teenagers…wow! I thought I would be prepared for this, I mean, after all, I was a student pastor for about 15 years, but the valuable life lessons I attempt to transmit to them everyday seem to frequently fall on deaf ears. Of course, that is not going to stop me! And when I came across this list, I knew that this would be something that I would add to my repertoire.
So, let’s pick up where we left off earlier this week:
6. Attitude. Someone once said this: “attitude isn’t the only thing, it’s everything”. This is generally true. In pretty much every area of life, we (and those that are around us) benefit from us having a good attitude! Having a positive attitude really is a difference maker, and it requires zero talent. You can improve the whole dynamic of any team or group that you’re apart of by simply having a good attitude. Having a negative attitude is emotionally draining, physical exhausting, and mentally debilitating.
7. Passion. Whenever we read stories of greatness, regardless of who the individual is, passion is always woven through their story. Nothing of significance is ever achieved without there being some measurable sense of passion involved. Even a quick Google produced definition of passion sounds awesome! A strong and barely controllable emotion. Wow! I love the imagery that barely controllable represents. I can envision Biblical heroes, Historical pioneers, modern day successful entrepreneurs…all full of this barely controllable passion! Malcolm Gladwell wrote about the story of Bill Gates, Microsoft’s mogul, and his passion for computers, which, 30 years later, we are the beneficiaries of his passion! You have to remember, the computer as we know it didn’t exist when Bill Gates began tinkering around in the early 1970s. However, his passion fueled his vision to make the computer…well…personal! Today, we are without a doubt, better, because of his barely controllable passion to change an entire industry.
8. Being Coachable. At the current level and stage of leadership I’m at right now in my life, I’m realizing, now, more than ever, what it means to be coachable. After all, it requires zero talent! And everyone should be coachable right? Well, that’s just the thing, I admit that I did set you up a little bit, because I’m not really talking about the people that I’m endeavoring to lead, I’m actually referring to my current plight of leadership, and how that I am recognizing the need to be coachable! I am the first one to admit, that I haven’t arrived, and I definitely don’t have it all figured out yet! Teach me! I’m willing to learn from others. I’m reading. I’m listening. I’m writing. And I suggest you do the same!
9. Doing Extra. A few years ago, I blogged about this exact topic. Click here. I do believe in job descriptions, however, I do know that an argument could be made against them, because there is no way that we could include everything into a job description. Any job description should serve as a minimum of what is required and expected. To be clear, every individual should know that their job should, and will most likely require, doing something extra. Fortunately, no talent is required for this! Look at your surroundings. If you’re observant, then you will find a need, and you will respond (hopefully) by filling the need!
10. Being Prepared. I used to take a great deal of pride in the fact that I worked well under pressure. Translation. I would procrastinate until the last possible minute, and then cram hours of work until finishing up just before the deadline. Fortunately, as I’ve grown older, and matured, I now realize that I am at my best whenever I finish a project, chore, or responsibility in advance, ahead of time, as opposed to the last minute! I believe that the same would be true for all of us. Have you ever noticed, that whenever you wait until the last minute to do something, it seems like all kinds of problems mysteriously arise? For example, you waited until the last minute to type up a report, and when you go to hastily print it out, the printer doesn’t work! I would suggest, that if you’ve finished your report, a day in advance, and the printer didn’t work, well, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Obviously, you would still have time to replace your ink cartridges, use a different printer, or make other plans. So, whether you have any talent or not, we can all still be prepared.
To be clear, the author or originator of this thought is unknown. I simply found it on the internet. Thank you internet! ?
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