It takes more than talent to achieve excellence.
Positive Minds | Positive Quotes | Edition 016
At the beginning of my career, I was a naive young man who believed that my outstanding academic records were synonymous with excellence and a promise of professional success and personal fulfilment. I was proud to say that I graduated as an engineer with honours, making me a rare gem with a clear path to success.
I came down with a bang from my pedestal. I understood, not without pain, that getting his diploma with honours and the jury's congratulations were not going to be of much use. I then remembered an ironic joke made by the eldest of our class at 2iE - Institut International d'Ingénierie de l'Eau et de l'Environnement (ex EIER) in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso. He was Cameroonian, had more than 20 years of professional experience, and had taken a break to get his engineering degree with kids like me. "Kid," he said, staring at me with a very serious look, "let me tell you something. All these complex formulas, theories and concepts won't do you much good in the field. You will face other realities and need other weapons to survive than your talent and genius". Then he added, "On the field, the rule of three is golden."
His words were reinforced by my sexagenarian mentor in Guinea, who kept reminding me of this:
"In school, you learn, and then you take the exams. In professional life, you take the exams, and then you learn [from your mistakes]".
A very grim way of saying there is no better teacher than the hard experience of life.
I learned these two lessons in the most brutal way possible. I was like a bullock thrown into the lion's den with two choices: fight with horns and kicks to survive or be devoured without trial. I chose a third option: taming the lions and becoming their allies. To do this, I had to excel at something I didn't learn at school: interpersonal skills. I made many mistakes in the beginning; some could have cost me my job and career. The only thing that saved me was my unwavering professional integrity, which my country director at the time praised and promoted as a model to follow.
Looking back, these tough experiences have polished me like a diamond and made me what I am today. Even if we don't want to live such experiences, they are necessary to test our limits.
To the young people entering the job market, don't make my mistake. Having a great degree from a great school with the honours of the jury is very good and a great launching pad for your career.
However, like a rocket, it takes more than the launching pad to put the rocket into orbit. You need other assets, such as interpersonal skills and an unmatched passion for your job, which are not taught in school.
