Has there been a time in your life when others saw something in you that you didn't see in yourself? As educators and leaders, one of our many jobs is to identify opportunities to grow our students and staff- helping to provide opportunities to nurture those gifts and talents.
In Matthew 25:14-15, Jesus tells the parable of the talents: the servants are given differing amounts of money. Two of the three servants invest their talents, doubling the money, while the third buries the money in the ground, afraid to lose it. When the master returned, the two who invested the talents were rewarded, while the third, who buried the money, was reprimanded for poorly managing what he was given.
We should consider this parable when working with those around us. How can we identify gifts and intentionally create opportunities for our students or staff to grow in their gifts and talents? Sometimes this involves taking a risk, giving up a level of control, and extending grace. It requires us to be observant- to identify things that people are good at and seek ways to utilize those gifts. It requires us to dedicate time and training to hone those talents and encourage that person to take risks in order to grow. And of course, patience- as educators, you know that learning a new skill is often not pretty. It takes courage, determination, and errors before someone gets it right. When mentoring in this situation, patience and a supportive environment are critical to encourage risk-taking.
Everyone has the potential to do great things and we have the opportunity to nurture that development! Sometimes all it takes is somebody pointing out that potential.
Interested in digging deeper into the idea of growing leaders? One of my favorite books on this topic is Hero Maker by Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird.