See, I am not well-rounded. I am rather obtuse.
And I like it that way.
See, there is the conventional wisdom going around that is telling people that they should be men and women that seek conformity. You know the saying, "The nail that stands out gets hammered back in." That's right: be the lame, sorry, boring nail that's in the wood. Pardon me as I take a nap. No thanks. I'll stand out. Sure it's risky. But tell me, what in your life has made any kind of impact that was not risky? Recently, I finished up a great little book by Peter Drucker and in it he shared similar lesson. During the Civil War, President Lincoln appointed 3 or 4 Generals before General Grant. He chose the men due to their well-rounded background, personality and skills. And guess what? From 1861 to 1864, the North did not make any headway -that is until Grant commanded the troops. Grant was known for his capable planning and leading winning campaigns. He was also known, however, for his temper and love for the bottle. Drucker said that Lincoln chose Grant not, "for his sobriety, rather for his ability to win battles."
This is true in any organization. If you hire a person / staff to avoid weakness, then do not be surprised if you end up with mediocrity. Hiring for well-roundness is a sure recipe for a vanilla workplace. Strong people have peaks and valleys. Sometimes very high peaks and very low valleys.
But at least you get something spectacular.
Think of the greatest basketball player to ever walk the court, Micheal Jordan (please don't argue this point, just accept this as a reality). Jordan lit up the NBA like no other. He has the titles, MVP's and records to back it up. He also had this thing about him when he played ... your team would lose and his would win. It was hard growing up in the 90's as anything but a Bulls fan.
--Sorry for the digression.
The point that I am making is that Michael Jordan quit basketball in the mid 90's to pursue baseball. BASEBALL. He played for a minor league team, I believe it was the Chicago White Sox. Let's just say that no one wanted "To be like Mike" when he wore spikes. On the wood Jordan couldn't be stopped. On the diamond, he couldn't get going. He found out that he needed to stick to what he did best, crushing people in a game of hoops.
See, for some reason we learn how to get A's when we are little and once we do, we are afraid to do anything outside of the box. The reason is because we just want an A. So we get all the instructions out for our science project and follow all the rules. Then on the day of the fair, we create the same stale volcano that all the other kids made too. Forget that. Forget the volcano. Turn the school into a flying object or something awesome. Sure, you might flunk and get sent home to get evaluated, but people will have to pick up their jaws when you are done. And that my friend, is the type of person you should endeavor to be. Take, for example the last week I preached. I preached a sermon titled, "The Greatest Boxing Match." Instead of spooning a boring sermon, my friends and I turned the front of the sanctuary into a real boxing corner. I was told that the sermon was a real "knock-out." (Sorry I couldn't resist). Seriously, I try to deliver something worthwhile, and that means I have to think outside the box. I really believe that I am called to deliver a meaningful, significant, memorable message. And when I am called upon to do so, I give my best to present something significant.
And If you think that I am off my rocker a bit, I'd just have you turn to First Peter 2:9 where the apostle teaches that God's people are called to be, "a peculiar people."
I am the nail that continues to stick out ... but I've got an inkling that you already knew that.
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