The Talented Fool

He's tired and dusty and everyone knows his story. Nobody perks up when they see him walk through the door. Nobody expects anything new from him. Nobody believes he can do anything different. Nobody holds long conversations with him. In fact his stories are the same and they are indeed quite boring now. The world has changed but he seems stuck in a time warp reliving his past glory - if indeed it was past glory. He relives past trespasses against him - perceived and real. Unable to move forward because of his anger. He dresses the same, acts the same, talks the same, and works the same - and he's getting nowhere fast. His rebellion grows daily in thought, word, and deed. He seems to be applying 1999 tactics to 2009 challenges. He's using a 56k modem to download a 10 gigabyte file when everyone else is using Broadband. This is an example of becoming more efficient at doing the wrong thing.

So now he's stuck in a rut and reality has finally smacked him square in the mouth. He wonders where it all went wrong. So he begins to reflect. And then he realizes that for many years, his friends, colleagues, and family tried to give him good advice. Teachers warned him of his erratic behavior and the consequences. Past supervisors warned him of his negative attitude and the repercussions. Team members warned him of his unprofessional image and the message it sent . But since he didn't think anything was wrong he shunned them. Surely they must all be mad! He was doing just fine in his career. Sure, he hasn't been able to change jobs or get promoted in the last 3 years but that's not his fault. The companies are just too foolish and short-sighted to see his talents. Their loss he says! Yeah, he really hurt them, didn't he? Those companies will surely be worse off for not hiring him. And if you believe that then I have a bottle of snake oil to sell you.

Many of you might not know who J.R. Rider is but he was once a promising NBA player. A scoring machine he was! A good team mate he was not! Rider was not coachable and built a stellar reputation for not showing up to practices or following team rules. The talented fool. He was a freelancer in a team sport. And sure, teams continued to pay him because of his talent. But after awhile, his act got old and he eventually was bounced from the league and into a life of personal turmoil. How about Adam "Pacman" Jones of the NFL? Another talented fool who refused to listen to wise council and was eventually bounced from the league. No matter what sport you follow you will be able to find an example of a talented fool who refused to listen to those who care most about him/her. And if you don't follow sports then think of your favorite musician or actor who self-destructed.

Such talented fools they are and were! And if you think their lives are so different from your own then think again. Professional Sports and Entertainment are industries and are no different than any other business. There are rules and consequences for displaying certain career limiting behaviors. Don't be the talented employee who nobody wants to work with. Don't be the talented job-seeker who nobody wants to hire. Don't be the talented employee who nobody wants to recommend. Don't be the talented job-seeker who nobody wants to mentor. In a nutshell, don't be the talented fool!