Month: August 2015

Things that have no color, texture, depth, or liveliness are sometimes considered to be “vanilla”.  Vanilla is ‘blah’.  It is unexciting, uninteresting, and anything but noteworthy.  It fades into oblivion in the company of oh, anything else at all.  It is a moot flavor in the presence of even slightly more bold flavors.  It could be argued that vanilla is pretty insignificant in this vibrant world.

But consider vanilla in a different light.  It can awaken the palate, serving as a ground note, even when it’s not discernible in the flavor profile. Vanilla brings other flavors together, moderating stronger flavors.  It is the great harmonizer of flavors.  It can work with just about every type of flavor in the spectrum…sweet, salty, savory. 

Vanilla is adaptable.  It doesn’t take the spotlight, but it supports and shines a light on all of the other flavors.  Vanilla is more noticeable when it is missing.  Vanilla is not perfect or “poor, put upon”, though, so don’t view vanilla as a martyr or an angel.  If cooked too hot for too long, vanilla can get bitter and lose its effectiveness as the great harmonizing ingredient.

So, please appreciate vanilla for its reliable, comforting, cohesive properties, and vanilla will consistently deliver its talents to whatever recipe it is added to…be sure of that!

I had the privilege of working for a leader whose philosophy was, “Let the stallions run, and let everyone else follow them.”  It was a refreshing shocker to me.  I had never before, nor have I since, worked for someone with that amazingly liberating approach to leadership.  This philosophy made ponies want to be stallions.  More than that, he told those in his charge, “If you’re a stallion, stop by my office and introduce yourself.”  It was an invitation to be bold and identify yourself as an individual with a vision, focus, and direction.  This leader’s favorite word was, “Awesome!”  He was southern folk, so imagine how “Aouw-sum!” things were when he was around. 

This kind of leadership inspired the best efforts anyone could hope to contribute.  It got us all through times when things weren’t so awesome because of the hope generated by an approach with the right attitude to challenges that came our way. 

That experience feels a little like Camelot now…the “good ol’ days” that I may never get to live again.  It’s okay, though, because I did get to experience it once.  I can relive it by being the type of leader who lets the stallions run.