The Normal Curve

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