Everyone Has Something to Offer

Nearly 40 years ago my good friend and mentor, Dr Gary Sallquist, gave me a book. It was one of several he gave me and encouraged me to read. Gary may not remember giving me the book or that I still have it held together by a rubber band.

The book titled, Excellence, by John W. Gardner was first published in 1961; and my paperback version was printed in 1971. By the way, the price on the book is $.95.

One of my favorite stories of understanding leadership and identifying leaders comes from the tattered pages of this old book.

“There are many varieties of excellence. This is one of those absurdly obvious truths of which we must continually remind ourselves. The Duke of Wellington, in a famous incident, revealed an enviable understanding of it. The government was considering a dispatch of an expedition to Burma to take Rangoon. The Cabinet summoned Wellington and asked him who would be the ablest general to head such an undertaking. He said, “Send Lord Combermere.” The government official protested: “but we have always understood that your Grace thought Lord Combermere a fool.” The Duke’s response was vigorous and to the point. “So he is a fool, and a damned fool, but he can take Rangoon.”

All too often, many of us miss talent and gifting in people because we cannot get by their appearance or personality to see what they have to offer. This is certainly true when it comes to trying to achieve an intergenerational community, whether at church or the workplace.

It is not limited to older looking at younger. It also prevents younger from seeing the value of a more seasoned age-group. In addition, this disease can keep those in the middle from wanting to be around older or younger.

Many churches and organizations are failing to connect with incredible young men and women, as well as phenomenal older men and women who have so much to offer “The Body” because we think we have to like someone for them to be a contributor. The “talent drain” in most churches is one of the most destructive inhibitors to growth.

Gardner makes the following statement in his chapter, The Great Talent Hunt”:

“…all who care about excellence in a society must be vigilant concerning the waste of talent. Teachers, curators, deans, critics, art dealers, editors, foundation officers, publishers—in short, all who are in a position to encourage talent—should continuously ask themselves whether the society is providing sufficient opportunities for its varied resources of talent. If important kinds of talent are withering on the vine, they had better know why.”

We could easily exchange the “church” for the word “society” in Gardner’s statement.

Are our churches missing a wealth of talent in all age groups because we cannot get past personality and appearance to see that everyone has something to offer?

I believe that one of the characteristics of great intergenerational churches will be that everyone gets to serve and be served. We all bring something to the table that is valuable and needed.


Leaders need to know who can “take Rangoon” regardless of their personality or appearance.

Paraphrasing the previous words of John Gardner, “If important kinds of talent and leadership in all age groups are withering on the vine in our churches or just leaving because they do not feel they have a place to grow, leaders had better know why and be willing to change.”


Gardner, John W., Excellence, Perennial Library, Harper & Row, Publishers, 1971, p. 151, 52