10/13/2010 Talent sans discipline not an asset

Publication: The Economic Times Mumbai;Date: Oct 13, 2010;Section: Career & Business;Page: 12

DRAWING THE LINE

Talent sans discipline not an asset
Priya Kumar

ONE of my friends has an extremely talented daughter. At a young age, her writing is so fluid and so mature that I
saw immense potential in her talent. I recommended her to a very large media house and she got a great job and
a greater opportunity to fame with her talent. What came as a shock to me was that a few weeks later, she was
fired. I asked my colleague: “Didn’t you find use for her talent?” His answer was: “Talent is great, but without
discipline, it has no meaning.” I think I learnt a great deal from that one sentence. I know so many talented
people, young professionals, artists, athletes alike, but the point everyone misses is that talent loses its
expression without discipline. Discipline comes first and only then does talent have a chance to glory. Discipline
is a daily thing. When you live your life with discipline, talent can be nurtured. Even a person with average talent
can emerge on the worldwide platform if one keeps a disciplined approach in one’s daily performance.

Here is compilation of complaints that lead to talented professionals losing their jobs. Treat this as a yardstick of
your attitude at work.

1. No respect for seniors: You could be talented, head-hunted from a multinational giant, merited for your
achievements in the past, etc. All that is good to get you a job. But when you are at the job, you have to respect
hierarchy. To have the attitude that you are the best and no one compares to you will open the exit door for your
job faster than you made your entry. 2. No sense of punctuality: You do get hired for your talent and potential
and often times, people use that as an excuse to have their own way at work. They feel that just because they are
good at their work, they do not need to meet time-lines; they need not respect other people’s time. “I would rather
have my projects delivered in time than have my client upset just to deliver to him a brilliant project, which may or
may not happen!” a colleague complained about his new Harvard recruit. “The boy has talent, but no respect for
time. I don’t know how long I will be able to afford him.” 3. No respect for procedures: The one thing that the so-
called talented clan hates is procedures, rules and processes. They like doing things ‘their way’ and insist on
those grants. “I just cannot keep backing up John when he breaks rules. He is extremely talented, but his attitude
is setting a wrong example in the department. It would not be long before no one adheres to procedures and
processes because if John is allowed to break them, then why not them?” one HR manager complained about his
head-hunted trainer. After looking at the list of complaints, I am not surprised that my blue-eyed girl was relieved
from her job within weeks that she joined. Talent cannot be an excuse for condition-based performance and
unreasonable demands. Talent, when coupled with humility and hard work, creates magic and makes you an
asset wherever you go.

Corporate trainer & best-selling author of I Am Another You

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