Greatness

Larry Sirranni, aka, Super Mario

Yesterday I was at a retirement party for a man who is wholly human, doubtlessly flawed and yet -- dare I use the word? --great in what he has accomplished in his vocation as an educator. The point of this blog is not to honour the man, Larry Sirianni, although he is quite worthy of being honoured (as was he in the many speeches given on June 4 at the Thundering Waters Golf Course in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada).

The point of this blog is to look at the concept of greatness. What makes Larry great -- what makes anyone great -- is that in his vocation he did not settle for the ordinary. He approached every minute, every day, every student, every colleague with the conviction that everyone, himself included, could be better after the encounter.

As I watched Larry being so rightly honoured I found myself having many divergent thoughts. Is it then what a person does that makes him great? Does the greatness (largeness, scope) lie in the magnitude of the vocation: in the sheer number of people that one touches in one's life? Perhaps. But then what does that say of a woman who cleans hotel rooms her entire working life or a man who delivers parcels for UPS?

I read a book 2 summers ago: The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn. It`s a leadership book based on an anecdote. I love it because it counters the so-many trendy books that are out there that say, Find out your gifts, operate in your strengths, and be the person you`re supposed to be. I don`t necessarily disagree with that, but there are a lot of people out there that through life`s circumstances were never able to pursue their life dreams (which is to say nothing of the 3rd world -- that`s yet another blog).

Here`s the Fred Factor, in a nutshell, from: http://www.stevedenning.com/SIN-167-Fred-Factor-reviewed.html

``Essentially Fred approaches his boring job as a postman with enthusiasm and keeps energetically searching for ways to add value for those he serves. He introduces himself to newcomers and finds out about their lives and needs. He starts responding and anticipating those needs in various ways. He makes special arrangements for the mail when residents go on trips. He notices when UPS has delivered a package to the wrong house and restores it to its rightful owner. He does the right thing by putting stamps on letters that he himself sends and delivers. He takes a personal interest in the neighborhood even when he is not on duty. Because he approaches his work with enthusiasm, Fred doesn’t find it boring. Instead he gets deep satisfaction from it. That’s pretty much it, in terms of Fred. Out of this slender material, Sanborn concocts a whole philosophy of working and living.

We are introduced to “the Fred principles”:

• everyone makes a difference
• success is built on relationships
• continually create value for others
• reinvent yourself regularly``
  

So, I guess what I`m saying is that yes, greatness is defined as ``important; highly significant or consequential`(as in what great, notable people do which is widely recognized and lauded) but it can also be defined as wonderful; first-rate; very good: and enthusiastic about some specified activity (which is what everyone can, and should try to, achieve).