The experience thing

I was thinking about experience and whether or not it matters. How much experience do you need to take up the mantle of leadership? What if you're not ready? What if it is thrust upon you?

Think about this guy for a moment. Was he ready? What experience did he have? Do you have any idea of the size of the shoes he had to fill? When he was in training for his new job, he went wobbly when it really mattered. Not once but three times. Even after those three strikes, he still got the job and by all accounts, acquitted himself rather well. Experience counts for much but not all. Great men (or women) often rise to the occasion. Sometimes far higher than they themselves thought possible.

Comments

Paul Smith Jr. said…
He's even worse than you remember. Just an apparent few minutes after being picked to lead the Church, Christ was calling him "Satan." (This past Sunday's Gospel, by coincidence.)

He did, though, have the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the charism of papal infallibility to help him, though.

But yeah, we don't really know if someone's qualified to handle a crisis until they're in one. You can have a resume as long as my arm, and still turn to jelly when "it" hits the fan. (Where did that expression come from?) Other people, with no apparent training or experience, rise to the occasion. It's one reason I prefer executive experience over legislative experience in my Presidential candidates. Legislators can pass off to other people or go along with flow; executives have to make decisions, so almost no matter how long they've been in office as compared to a legislator, they've likely had more rubber meets the road moments.
Paul Smith Jr. said…
I should point out, I get the symbolism and meaning of that expression. I'm just wondering how it was first thought of. Did "it" really truly hit a fan sometime and an expression was born forever?
The Last Ephor said…
"Did "it" really truly hit a fan sometime and an expression was born forever?"

You crack me up Paul.

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