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200 words, adapt, community, dancing, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, gifts, happy, mission, music, Purpose, skills, talents, Who I am
A community is like a ship, everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm. ~ Henrik Ibsen
I’m not sure I agree with the above statement.
A Master of all Traits?
Everyone has unique gifts and talents and no one can do everything.
Sure we can adapt and take on a different role for a period of time, or perhaps even forever, but we won’t be happy and we won’t do as good a job as could be done.
The other night we went to see a Reggae band. They were playing. We were dancing.
And every now and then the drummer broke into a burst of drum banging that had nothing to do with the music playing.
The band would stop, have a mini meeting on stage, switch instruments and start over.
It was pretty impressive how they could all play every instrument but they weren’t in tune with each other and it sure didn’t do anything for the listener or us poor Smucks who just wanted to dance.
~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~
Does it make sense to you for everyone to be able to take the helm?
Why? Why not?
talktodiana 
I’m not quite sure where I stand, but I’m leaning more towards developing and applying unique skills as long as it’s fun for me, even if it makes me look silly….I’d keep pursuing. I guess it’s just difficult for me to accept that we all have only specific set of talents, and we should only focus on them. I like the idea of possibility/freedom to change the unique skills, to avoid routine. 🙂
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I hear what you’re saying Kristi and perhaps I have used the words skills and talents in the wrong way. I’m thinking more about what drives us. For example, I build community and lead teams. Whatever skills and talents I have continue to grow and mature toward this purpose. Does that make more sense?
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Hi Diana,
You do raise a great question here. But in today’s fast changing world and thereby the need for differing competences and assets, it may indeed be necessary that all members in the team acquire the basic leadership mindset of team play, networking and communication skills and empowerment. Put differently, all this would inculcate an ownership attitude in all members and is guaranteed to raise the team performance to awesome heights. What would you say?
Shakti
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I think it depends on the team. If it’s a leadership team, they can take leadership and cover for each other.
Some people just are not comfortable leading though and their gifts speak more to supporting a leader. That’s just what I think though.
However we are all leaders in the sense that we lead by example.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment and question!
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What a fantastic question you pose here…man, it’s a tough one for me to give an ‘absolute’ on. But what the H?
I would say that it’s not possible for everyone to take THE helm, but that it’s possible to take the helm of your own unique talents and make a meaningful contribution by doing so.
It’s collaboration that makes the world go ’round I think! 🙂
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What a great way to put it Andrea! We can all be intentional about contributing our gifts. 🙂
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Hi Diane! Here’s my opinion on the Ibsen Quote. I think if one wants to be a leader he/she must have a passion to the helm and take ownership in the position. A leader is not a position for everyone. This reminds me of a former ideology of the US of A (I reside in the Commonwealth of Kentucky). There was once a concept that we were ” The Great American Melting Pot” All the cultures came to America and were all the same, there was no variety. Growing up in the 80’s this concept became the American Salad Bowl ( That was not was it was called but you will get the idea in a moment) A great salad has lettuce, carrots, cabbage, onions, dressing and each component has its own character to make up the whole dish. America embraced its various cultures as a flavors. Variety is truly the spice of life!
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Hi Michael,
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts! I agree. Variety is the spice of life. I love community and community is made up of people from all walks of life and backgrounds who each bring their individual gifts and talents to the world. We truly need each other and the gifts offered by each person within and for the community.
On another note, as a Canadian, I always enjoy visiting the US and have always been blown away by its hospitality. I’ve even been to your fair state twice, in Louisville to be exact!
Have an awesome week.
Diana
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Reminded me in an indirect way of W.C. Fields’s quote, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it.”
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I love that quote! I’ve never heard it before. 🙂
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I am not sure on one hand I think yes it is but on the other hand maybe not I just don’t know…………….I think I will stay up here on my fence……………unless I fall off or get pushed off……………lol
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It’s amazing how comfortable a fence can be! hahaha
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Taking the helm may imply some sort of hierarchical organization–but somehow I want to think that Ibsen was describing something more collaborative.
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I love varied perspectives on my posts!
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I believe in cross training, but only as a stop gap – it makes no sense to me to have people do the jobs they are not best at if there’s no emergency. Even so, I want everyone to understand the process, because there are times you need someone to pitch in and step up. Cool observation about the band – novelty, yes – entertainment, maybe not.
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Yes I believe in cross training as well. It doesn’t hurt to know enough to be dangerous. 🙂
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Haha – that is pretty accurate!
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I love this, the quote, your take on it, and the glimpse into your evening. I agree with you, not everyone is meant to do everything, or can do it all well. I don’t believe that makes any one person lesser. 🙂
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I agree, it does not make any one person better or worse than another. ❤
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Rather than leaving it to whoever was in charge, I guess there were quite a few people who wished they had read that quote on the titanic!
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Oh my, how true is that?!
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We all have our different strengths in life, I have come to accept. There was a time I would feel inadequate when I couldn’t match the capability of a colleague, but no more. I now prefer to think we can each bring something unique to the table that is of value. Why should we be expected to wear all the hats?
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What I really like about it is that it builds community. We need each others’ talents so it’s best to work together, yes?
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Oh yes!
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I so agree … stick to what you are good at an try, still try new things but if you don’t have the talent don’t force it unless your life depends on it
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Love the way you put it Jensine!
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Heh! Back in the day, when I wanted to put together a band, one of the “schticks” I planned was that every once in a while, in between tunes, one member would “stop the show” and insist he (or she) was tired of playing this particular instrument, so could we please change. After some goofing around, we’d do just that. Until the next member decided they weren’t happy. Of course, a prerequisite is that everyone would be capable of playing all the instruments (and many musicians are — any decent ones can play at least a couple different ones). And it would all be part of the show.
That said, I completely disagree with the quote assuming we read it to refer to having all skills. Of course that’s wrong. I think we could read it to mean that everyone should be willing to step up when needed, and on that point I think we’d agree.
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At least you switched between sets and not in the middle of a tune with the dance floor packed!
I agree, if we read the quote to mean that we should be prepared to step up to the plate when we’re needed – that would make perfect sense to me!
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I don’t think so.. some are more apt to have a talent for different things… and what is the saying “Jack of all trades … Master of none..”
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That would be me, more of a generalists but there definitely are those who are a Master of a trait. I think of Bach, Shakespeare, Einstein, everyone with a Phd LOL. Know what I mean?
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what’s the quote: Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead… because if you don’t do what I say I’m really gonna be pissed…
something like that….
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haha that sounds about right Bill, but I think you left out ^%^$%&^(!
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fraffing, raffing, mrahrgahing…. %$!!@
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There ya go! Feels good huh?
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I have found if one never curses, when they do let fly it tends to be more dramatic.
I admit when a woman drops f-bombs all over, in the back of my mind I think “unlady-like” — how old school can I get, ( sigh )
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I think when anyone does that all the time and all over it’s very unappealing! I don’t think it’s old school at all. 🙂
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once on the rugby team, we had a guy who used f-bombs in every sentence, starting, middle and end.
So whenever we talked to him, we would use twenty in each sentence.
He really toned down after that. It was hilarious.
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haha sometimes, well usually we don’t recognize things like that until they are mirrored back to us. 🙂
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Hi Diana. Very interesting post! I think it is true that we all have one or maybe a couple of instruments that are our unique gifts and that is what we were intended to contribute to the world. But I also think that there is another side to this story. And that is that perhaps the band was playing for their own enjoyment and not that of the dancers! There is something in that for us too. I’m not the best barista in the world but if I make you a coffee you get my attempt latte art whether you want it or not! 🙂
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As long as I get a latte! 😉
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