Expert Feature: The Legendary Violinist And The Surprising Reason You Should Delegate
Nicolo Paganini
Source: Wikipedia
If I told you that you should delegate to get more done, that wouldn’t be any surprising revelation.
But there is a much more important reason that you and I should be delegating.
And it’s probably not something you have thought of.
I’ll explain what I mean in just a minute, but first I want you to hear a story that reveals the secret of the true importance of delegation…
The Greatest Violinist of All Time
Nicolo Paganini was born to a poor family in 1782.
This humble beginning gave no clue of the greatness he’d attain one day.
You might not have ever heard of him, but people in his day did.
He was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer.
When he was a young boy his father taught him to play the violin.
It’s said that his father forced him to practice intently and so much that some said it was dangerous. (He is rumored to have deprived young Nicolo of food during extended practices.)
Nicolo later studied under a great instructor.
It all must have paid off though, because he is today considered one of the greatest violinists of all time.
When it came to the violin you can think of him as the Jimi Hendrix or B.B. King of his era.
His many performances all over Europe, he left his audience – including top musicians of his era – in complete awe of him.
The Devil Made Him Do It?
How good was he?
He was so good, that a rumor started that someone had seen the devil helping him play.
Paganini eventually gained legendary status.
In fact, he was so amazing that it was said that there wasn’t any audience that could be disturbed during “the trance” he was able to create during his performances.
By 1813, he became the greatest violinist of his day and the most idolized.
If he was around today, he’d have more Twitter followers than Justin Beiber. 🙂
Not only that, he was instrumental in the revival and popularization of violin techniques which are now incorporated into regular compositions.
The Gift He Bequeathed to His Place of Birth
In 1837, he had a will drawn up and bequeathed one of his amazing violins to Genoa — the city of his birth.
But in his will he left one important condition, “I bequeath my violin to the City of Genoa that it be perpetually preserved.”
That meant that the instrument be kept under glass never be played again. Three years later, in 1840, he died.
His amazing violin was given to Genoa and they followed his instructions. And they did a great job.
In fact, his violin is now regarded as one of the most important musical instruments in the history of western music.
It’s preservation is on an exceptional level, because of the fact that since the death of the violinist in 1840 it has rarely been played.
How Paganini Became the Greatest is How You Do
Ok, you’re probably wondering, “Nice story. But what does this have to do with delegation!?!”
Everything. I’ll explain it to you.
How did Paganini become the greatest?
You might come up with these reasons:
- First of all, he was born with the talent.
- Secondly, his father made him obsessively focus on practicing the violin.
- Finally, he had a great instructor.
Those are definitely all contributing factors to his greatness, but I don’t think those things alone contributed to his greatest.
I think it was something else.
There was a fourth reason that I believe is the key factor to his greatness – and it ties into the real reason for delegation. What is it?
4. Focused time and concentration.
Why do I say that? Here’s why…
- His innate talent would have never blossomed into the amazing ability he later possessed without focused time and concentration on playing.
- The intense practice his father put him through would’ve all been for nothing if he didn’t continue to focus his time and concentration on playing.
- Even all of the time he spent with his great instructor would not have paid off if it wasn’t for him continually focusing his time, energy, and concentration on playing.
The Real Reason You Should Delegate
Do you see it yet? Do you understand the real reason you should delegate to others?
If not, here it is…
- The real reason to delegate is so your innate talents and gifts can have the opportunity to blossom.
- It is so you can find the time to practice and do what you truly do best.
- It’s so you can focus, learn, and concentrate with all that’s within you to develop that skill you were meant to impact the world with.
This can never happen if you are doing everything in your business yourself.
It can never happen if you micromanage all of the little things that aren’t a part of your real gifting and talent.
- Can you imagine if that amazing violin was never put into his hands?
- Can you imagine if his fingers never touched it, never learned the dexterity they needed to play it so well?
- What if it was kept under that glass from the day it was first made?
It would’ve been valueless!
It’s the same with your talents, giftings, and abilities.
If you don’t use them, you can never make the impact you were meant to.
You can never succeed at the level of true potential that you have deep within you.
Without delegation, your talent will be stifled. Without delegation, your music will never be heard.
It will be crowded out by the busyness and requirements of your business.
That is the reason you and I must delegate away as much of the peripheral tasks and daily requirements that we can.
- Assign to others the tasks that anyone can do.
- Give away the tasks that others can do better than you.
- Focus on what you do best in your business or organization.
It’s the only way you can focus with obsessive, laser-focused attention on the things that will help you achieve your true potential and make the biggest impact.
Sources: Chambers Journal Vol. 65, Guitarramagazine.com, Wikipedia.org, NNDB.com, & Genova.it
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