"GT [Gifted & Talented] doesn't matter" is what people say when they can't get accepted.
Someone said this to me the today when I expressed my feeling that getting accepted into GT didn't matter.
I didn't go to schools with a GT program. And if I did, I'm sure no one would have thought to test me. And if they did, I definitely wouldn't have gotten in. I was a child in the 90s with ADHD and dyslexia and I definitely wasn't the poster child for GT.
This person who said this scored way beyond exceptional as a child -- that's what they told me. This person went to all the best schools: Ivy League level. They worked at all the best companies: Facebook, Google, etc.
Image from WIX media.
I went to college because I was an all-star athlete and didn't start to do well in school until in college when I was finally diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. I was able to manage both. I've worked at decent companies.
What's my point?
❌This person has been pushed out of positions and companies because of their inability to work well with others.
✅Every review I've had the first feedback is my unique ability to gather people together and accomplish tasks and create community.
❌This person has damaged relationships and lost connections because of their elitist views.
✅I welcome all walks of life and believe that real life experiences and grit can outlast and overcome what is read in books and memorized.
❌This person was stuck in middle-management roles until their early 40s.
✅I sat on my first leadership VP position when I was 30.
❌This person tried to start several companies all which have failed.
✅I've successful started two multi-million dollar companies and sold one.
Being smart doesn't mean you're automatically successful in your professional life. Going to an Ivy League or scoring perfectly on the SATs doesn't mean you'll be a millionaire.
I'm a product of a single mom of five kids, learning disabilities and a low chance of success. But at the age of 27, I was a self-made millionaire. And I have no plan on stopping or slowing down.
So yeah, I stand strong by my comment. GT doesn't matter.
Click here to see the full post on LinkedIn.