Common Purpose Blog » harnessing http://commonpurpose.net We run courses which give people the inspiration, skills and connections to become better leaders both at work and in society. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:15:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 “Harnessing” talent http://commonpurpose.net/2009/01/harnessing-talent/ http://commonpurpose.net/2009/01/harnessing-talent/#comments Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:40:57 +0000 Julia Middleton http://commonpurpose.wordpress.com/?p=95 ‘Harnessing talent’ is another expression you hear a lot, usually about young talent. But harnesses are thick pieces of leather used to strap down, control and direct cattle and horses. So the last thing we want to do is harness talent. We want it de-harnessed, set free, challenged to try new things, to take ideas further than we were brave enough to.

I met a young leader recently who had just unharnessed herself from a big job. She just walked. They must be furious with themselves for losing her. And she is so frustrated and angry, talented and successful. She could not understand why established leaders were so intolerant of the young. Finally she burst out, “Why should we grow up when you lot refuse to yourselves?” I thought it was a good question.

At Common Purpose I am watching some of our young talent fly high and wide, and what a joy it is. But the harnessers do seem to dominate; you almost feel it’s that they want to harness talent so that it too can suffer and survive “as we did”. I hope the harnessing stops soon because we will need all the young talent we can set free to accelerate, when the time comes, out of the chaos we now find ourselves in.

Julia Middleton

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