Our
talents follow the normal curve. We may
be good at sports, but our talent for creating art is lacking. We may have talent for music, but may not be
the best in academics. All of this can change based on our interests. We tend to spend time on things we are
interested in and we get better at these things. Developing and keeping talent
requires practice.
Our
overall impact in accomplishing things is also based on our overall energy
level and the efficiency with which we work. Our ability to work requires
stamina and motivation. We also need good emotional and mental control to avoid
“giving up” too easily.
When I
taught myself piano at age 4 and taught myself how to play the bugle at age 8,
I recognized my talent for music. When I got a trumpet at age 10 and learned to
play guitar at age 11. I also sang in the grade-school choir. I won a trumpet
scholarship to high school and started a rock band at age 14. My plan was to use my musical talent to make
money from age 14 to age 21, to work my way through high school and college.
My
standardized test scores indicated that I was performing 2 grades ahead of
myself, so I didn’t sweat school. My
athletic ability was poor to fair, but I played every kind of ball anyhow. I
lived on my bike, so I was in good shape physically. I had several groups of
friends in grade school. I was the smart kid who hung out with the “hoods”,
because they were fun. I also spent time
with the “brains”, listening to opera and playing chess. In 1957, My grade school
days in the city of Maplewood were over. I was about to meet guys who lived all
over St. Louis County.
High
school was a different experience. I went to Christian Brothers College
Military High School, the family school my dad and all my uncles attended.
My
freshman year, I was asked to join the speech team in and that got me into all
the high school plays at CBC and all the plays sponsored by our partnered
girls’ high school, St. Joseph’s Academy.
I sang and danced in the chorus of their light operas and eventually
starred in these productions. So, by the
end of high school I was a singer, dancer, actor, musician and ended up as the
band commander at CBC. I enjoyed all of my activities and became a good time-manager.
In high
school, I was a leader. I was “cool”. I was a rock band leader. I ran with several groups. I organized
school-wide support for our teams.
My
talents gave me several normal curves to occupy. I was a self-learner. I had high musical talent. I had high
performing talent. I had above average
academic skill. I knew I wanted a career in Personnel when I was a freshman in
high school. I was class President. I was a leader. I was inner-directed. I was
skeptically developing my own world-view.
I had accomplishments to fall back on to offset any failures I might
have had.
I went to
St. Louis University to learn all the math and science I needed to understand
manufacturing equipment and processes. I majored in Psychology, because it was
required to enter Personnel. But was able to take graduate seminars covering
business consultants’ concepts. I minored in English to learn human behavior, I
minored in Theology and Philosophy to learn how to think and develop my
world-view. I sang and played bass 6 nights a week at the Living Room in
Gaslight Square in a “blues band”. I
switched to singing and playing bass in a jazz trio on the weekends after I
graduated. I worked summer jobs and paid all of my college expenses myself. I
was a professional musician. I also had the academic background companies were
looking for at the time. I graduated in January 1965.
My first
job was at United Way as a division campaign director. I was a “performer” and
I my divisions raised 120% of goal. After 2 campaigns, my boss wanted me to
consider taking over a United Way, but I took a Personnel job instead. The
United Way introduced me to all the folks who ran all the companies in St.
Louis. I had made a good impression. One
of them got my resume from a head-hunter, knew me well and hired me to fill his
Personnel opening. In 1967 my career had begun.
My entire career was driven by my curiosity.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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