Stop Trying to be Talented
“Really feel yourself move from edge to edge. Let the snow push back to shape your turns, and don’t forget to enjoy the view!”
This is what Coach Dave told me as we teetered on our skis at around 8,000 ft, on the eastern slope of a magnificent, snow-covered stratovolcano.
One hour into my lesson, I’d become so focused on demonstrating my talent as a ‘quick learner’ that I’d stopped trusting the snow beneath my skis.
And I’d become so set on eliminating errors to quiet my inner critic, that I’d forgotten to appreciate the ease and wonder of it all.
Has this ever happened to you?
Have you ever wanted to come across as ‘talented’ so badly that you overlooked your nearest support structures?
…that you tried to silence your inner perfectionist by working twice as hard?
…that you forgot about your privilege and slipped right past a phenomenal opportunity?
Well, I’ll let you in on a secret:
Despite what colleagues and mentors might say, pure talent is not enough to carry you over your next mountain.
Four Alternative Super Skills
If your next mountain is a bold career move, a leap into leadership, or the launch of an innovative business that people will actually want to work for, there are a variety of other things to focus on as you venture up and over your chosen mountain.
Coach Dave (and I) highly recommend practicing these four super skills:
Use all your senses (not just your strength) and feel your way forward with your people
Let good feedback in from your people, places, and processes
Ease up on comparisons and judgments so you can see what is more clearly
Be awed more often to acknowledge how lucky you are and let the bigger picture keep inspiring you
To practice these four super skills, you don’t need to be more talented. You don’t need any special equipment. You don’t even need to know exactly where you’re going!
You just need to slow down and be receptive to all the good inputs and support structures within your reach, and then choose forward motion.
You can start right now, wherever you are. And once you start, others will want to follow your lead.
