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Waiting for Someone Else to Notice This Kills Your Career
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This is the sneaky “normal” that can steal your thunder and let your talent and hard work go to waste.
A gifted horseback rider, he was a shoo-in for the Dutch Olympic team and the 1940 games.
But his “Plan A” got derailed when World War II stopped the games.
Plan B: DeLeyer moved to America and started a riding school
Having little money, he bought his horses at the kind of auction that sold them by the pound.
One day, a snowstorm caused DeLeyer to arrive late and miss the sale.
Leaving without the lesson horse he needed, he had the unnerving feeling of being watched from between the slats of a horse van bound for the slaughterhouse.
He walked over to look inside and discovered a big, white horse looking back at him.
“This could be a good horse.” He thought.
He bought him and named him Snowman.
DeLeyer tried to excite some potential in his new addition by training him on low jumps, but the former plow horse showed no interest.
Two years later, DeLeyer sold the horse to a neighbor for twice what he paid for him.
But Snowman kept running away, only to be discovered by DeLeyer back in his stable yard.
The horseman was surprised because he knew several high fences separated the horse from his former home.
Realizing he was a stunningly capable jumper, DeLeyer purchased the horse and began competing with him.
Spoiler alert:
The pair became two-time Madison Square Garden Jumper Champions and Snowman was two times Horse of the Year.
They weren’t full-on Kardashians, but close. They appeared on TV shows, in LIFE magazine, and hosted a fan club for years.
How did a horseman with a keen eye for developing talent miss the potential in the most remarkable horse he’d ever know?
He set the bar too low to bring out the best in a champion.
Low expectations are dangerous.
Don’t rely on someone, even a talented someone, to spot your potential.
The best thing you can do for your career is to help someone else with theirs.
