I was trying to come up with something memorable and appropriate to say on this Thanksgiving Day of 2017. BrainyQuote.com had serious quotes, funny quotes, thought-provoking quotes, and more than one guilt-inducing quotes. But, then, I came across this little gem.

What a marvelous resource soup is for the thrifty cook – it solves the ham-bone and lamb-bone problems, the everlasting Thanksgiving turkey, the extra vegetables.

Julia Child

Are you kidding me? Is that the best you have for today?

Yes, that is the best that I have for today. Don’t judge it too quickly. I have had the pleasure of sitting at the tables of some of the finest cooks on the planet. My paternal grandmother was an amazing pie and bread baker and all around farmhouse cook. She didn’t really believe that we ever went to the moon. But, man, could she cook!?!

I don’t think she ever used a recipe. It wouldn’t have done any good because living during the great depression, you never really knew for sure what you would have to make a meal out of. Freshly baked loaves of bread and soups were a staple. You just never knew what kind of soup it would be. Sometimes there would be corn, sometimes there would be a few potatoes, and sometimes there was more water than anything. But, one thing was certain. Nothing was wasted.

Are you ready for the Thanksgiving angle on the nature of this soup quote?

Take a look at the world-famous chef, Julia Child’s quote. I think she could have used “creative” just as easily as she used the word “thrifty” and the quote would have had equal or greater impact.

Creativity is one of the most valuable traits of a great leader. Military strategists often quote Helmut von Moltke the Elder who is given credit for saying “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” Strategy is fine. But what if you plan for A, B, or C and the enemy does D?

Creativity as a cook turns leftover turkey pieces and vegetables into a savory soup on a cold November night. And it is the leadership trait that takes disparate peoples, ideas, and resources and makes a success out of them.

What do you see?

Do you see a bunch of people who barely know one another and have no relationship with one another? Or do you see a team waiting to be formed? Do you see a bunch of resources with no central theme? Or do you see some resources that if trimmed and combined together would become a great and unified force? Do you see a bunch of bland ideas? Or do you see something that, if spiced up and flavored a little, would become a great strategy?

If you see the former, then you are not a creative leader. But, if you see the latter, then you have the kind of creativity and resourcefulness that makes a great leader.

Soup’s on!

Well, enough of that. I am already hungry again. You know what sounds good right now? A big bowl of steaming and savory soup and some fresh bread to dip into it.

Be thankful today for all the blessings that you have. Count them, name them, and be thankful for them. I am thankful for so many things today.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at LeadershipVoices.

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