inspired generalist

From my teens, I’ve placed more faith in being an inspired generalist.  Nothing against folks who specialize in narrow fields of interest.  The world needs – and respects – them.  Just not me.

From my  early teens (alas, for a misguided reason) I longed to be a teacher.  The local (very powerful) educational powers-that-be were discomforted by my decision to get my a general Liberal Arts degree in religion & philosophy, with a minor in history, rather than the straight & (very) narrow Ed degree.  Twice  before graduating, I was called before the (titular, if not actual) head of the Ed Dept to EXPLAIN  MYSELF, why I wasn’t following the standard path, did I realize the consequences.  My unorthodox choice bothered the powers-that-be & they wanted it remedied.

The reality was that I had no interest in teaching people.  My interest was 4-square in educating them.  Was then, is now.

You’ll find the roots of educate in the Latin word, ducere – to draw or lead.  Partner that with the all-important “e” to get its full meaning ~ to draw forth & lead OUT.   

Think of teachers (from Old English taecan, "to show, declare, warn, persuade") as those who impart knowledge for the sake of accumulated learning.  While educators aim to draw out gifts & understanding already in a student (whatever the age) for the sake of leading to wisdom. 

Seems to me that a teacher’s main role is to impart, while an educator’s is to engage. 

It’s been a blessing to have known many teacher/educators in my life, as a child & adult.  But it’s my experience that the one who is most appreciated by school administration are the ones who can quantify within their given school year the results they produce.   

Many years ago, I heard that our local administration would be letting a teacher go at the end of the school year.  I asked, “Is it Robert?”  The person sharing the news was startled – “You saw there were problems with him, too?” they asked.  Quite the contrary, I explained.  A few years before, when I was volunteering in the school, I’d seen him in the classroom & immediately recognized a truly inspired educator.  He was brilliant, had a lasting affect on his students – and completely confused the school hierarchy, who couldn’t comprehend his out-of-the-box methods.

I’ve never focused on the norm.  Not because I was a rebel, but just because it never registered.

Back in my corporate days, colleagues warned me I’d never get ahead if I kept giving credit where credit was actually due rather than keeping glory earned by a team for myself.  Later, working in high-end customer service (given the high-falutin’ title Account Executive), supervisors warned me that my on-phone time was too long, beyond prescribed times per call, that I was too cheerful, too transparent, too too.  Yet, somehow I managed to rack up a record of successes at three Fortune 500 companies.  

 Not that the execs ever felt comfortable with my blatantly unquantifiable style & methods, but they couldn’t argue with my successes.

It took until my late fifties to finally become fully comfortable with the fact that I make a lot of people – particularly people in positions of power – uncomfy.  They want quantifiable results to feed into a computer.  My strength lies in the irksome intangible. 

I’ve learned that the majority of people in power aren't okay my "off the grid"  style.  I wonder sometimes if they are uneasy with me being so non-standard issue because it might cast doubt on whether they are.    

Hey, I’ve been an inspired generalist since forever.  Not my choice, my reality.  My hope is that I am & always remain open & embracing of the gifts & graces of the inspired specialist.  That I’m always willing to take the well-paved highway, when it is the best choice, rather than insisting on sticking to the unbeaten path. 

Life is about balance.  It needs inspired generalists & equally inspired specialists.  It needs sloggers who sees what needs to be done & keeps at it until completion.  It needs the folks who don’t want to have to do much thinking, just let them get on with the prescribed task at hand.  It needs everyone with all their best qualities.  Even those too-often blinded powers-that-be & hierarchies of power!