Nurturing Talent Against All Odds

School days remind me of my passion for drama and elocution, which I loved participating in. We learned multiple languages at school, and some of the language teachers, favouring a few students due to their influential parents, nominated them for elocution and drama competitions in a specific language. As a result, I often never made it past the semi-finals in elocution and only received junior artist roles in dramas, with the main characters always going to those favoured students.

I often felt quite dejected, believing I had talent that I had proven in my primary classes. However, a group of Hindi language teachers saw me as a strong candidate for inter-school competitions. With their encouragement and support, I consistently achieved top positions in Hindi elocution and secured lead roles in Hindi drama competitions. This support also fostered my love for the Hindi language.

During that period, there was an instance when the other language teacher went on leave. I managed to advance past the semi-finals and reach the finals of the elocution competition, where the judges were external. The performance, witnessed by all the students and teachers, received a standing ovation when I concluded.

What we can learn from this story is that talent and capability will eventually shine through, even if there are few who don’t support you. You'll encounter such situations in every phase of life—in school, college, and in your professional career.

I recall a time when a very talented friend came to me in despair, upset about how their boss favoured certain individuals who lacked capability but received support simply because they were good companions. As a result, my friend missed out on opportunities. I advised my friend, 'It's pointless to compare yourself with your boss's favourites. You can only control what’s within your reach. While your boss's support for his buddies may not change, you can change your fate by continuously honing your skills and demonstrating your leadership. Eventually, those around you will start to recognize your talent, and ultimately, even your boss will have to acknowledge it.”

I strongly believe that talent cannot remain hidden for long. If you put in enough effort and consistently deliver results, your abilities will eventually bring you to the forefront, making you stand out despite the presence of anyone else's favourites. Never lose hope or feel dejected because you lack support. This mindset can be cultivated through self-motivation or guidance from genuine mentors, as well as by:

• Continuously seeking ways to close any gaps in your skills.
• Envisioning receiving support and opportunities through positive visualization.
• Identifying the right helping hand—someone you can trust and who will advocate for your talent.

Just as my Hindi teachers recognized my talent and helped me advance, there will be people who notice your abilities and support you.

And as leaders, we must ensure that our actions are fair and justified when it comes to recognizing and supporting talent. Never lose the trust of team members through our actions.