Are you giving talent a second chance?

by Marguerite Granat on December 10, 2009

Seabiscuit_Charles_Howard“Sometimes when the little guy does not know he is the little guy, he can do great things.” This was a line I heard from the movie “Seabiscuit”

Charles Howard, his owner, was sharing with a crowd the miracle of Seabiscuit, who was an average horse finally achieving extraordinary results.

How many people are only achieving ordinary results because they don’t know or forgot what they were born to do? How many people have not been given a second chance to fulfill their greatest potential?

A second chance was what Seabiscuit needed most and what his new owner Howard gave him. Seabiscuit had a tough start, rejected by his original owner, and traumatized by repeated abuse. He did not know who he really was because he was taught to limit his capabilities which initially prevented him from fulfilling his true potential.  He had been judged for his looks because he was average and nobody realized that his strength came from his heart except for Tom Smith who would become his new trainer.  I believe that there are people at work who may not have the expected pedigree but are capable of great potential when they’re paired up with the right employer. This is exactly what Tom Smith achieved with Seabiscuit.  He helped Seabiscuit remove all previous limitations and fulfill his destiny.

“…look at us. Our horse is too small…Our jockey’s too big..Our trainer’s too old…and I’m too dumb to know the difference..” Charles Howard from the movie Seabiscuit

By being blind to the perceived limitations, Charles Howard set up the environment that allowed everyone on Seabiscuit’s team to thrive and become extraordinary talent. Talent, utilized properly, developed and managed is what defines a successful organization.  Because he unleashed the impossible from what appeared ordinary, he helped his team develop great confidence. New challenges surfaced and rather than look at limitations, the team looked at how to take these on while beating all the odds against them.

Your Insights and Thoughts

  • Are organizations missing on great talent by focusing mainly on pedigree?
  • How do we encourage others to remove the limitations that prevent the fulfillment of great potential?
Please Share!

    Tagged as: Leadership Competencies, Success

    • http://twitter.com/MeghanMBiro Meghan M. Biro

      A behavioral meets creative recruitment perspective = analyze people (talent) in 3D. (then > nurture strengths, *understand*, communicate points to improve). Discerning the entire picture (in 3D) can then foster this enhanced workplace culture/environment.

      Thankfully, someone was able to clearly view Seabiscuit through this particular lens. (Second runs exist!)

      Keen thoughts here Marguerite.

      • Marguerite Granat

        Meghan, you are right about analyzing talent from a 3D perspective. So often, a hiring manager will miss great talent and potential because she is only looking at the person from a linear perspective. It takes courage to give someone a second chance and look at their heart rather than inflexible requirements. Do you have a success story from your search practice where you took a risk and presented someone whom the client might have turned down otherwise?

    • http://www.LiveInWestMi.com Tami Vroma

      Wow awesome post. And yes, I think they do concentrate to much on the pedigree. That being sad, if two potentials were equal, I would hire the one with the degree.

      • Marguerite Granat

        Tami, thanks for your comment. How much weight would you give a potential candidate who has the passion + right experience but no degree compared with a person with pedigree but less experience?

    • http://www.songofsilvercrow.com/ Chris Anderson

      Attitude is systemic, it governs our lives across the board. The more enlightened our perspective of others, whither in the workplace, the home, or civic and social environments, the more we give the world around us the opportunity to express a higher vision, a greater talent. Excellent subject, excellent blog. Thanks Marguerite!

      • Marguerite Granat

        Chris, I believe that Charles Howard lived his life that way and wish there were more men and women like him. He definitely set the tone for everyone to excell around him.

    • http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelled Rachelle Dillon

      Marguerite- the best blog to date. Wow! In my experience, internal politics have been the big hammer on realizing the potential of workers. Many talented people toil under the radar, rarely challenged, except by workload volume. You are so right in that decision makers rarely have the vision to see beyond first impressions and preconceived notions. As China and India overtake the US as superpowers, using fully what we already have would take us far. The question is: “how do we as a nation tap into our own capabilities”?

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