"Give me a child, and I'll shape him into anything," said famed psychologist BF Skinner. Sweeping statements aside (OK, BF, let's see you turn him into a giraffe, or an aircraft carrier), he may have been on to something. And we can all agree that it's never too early for kids to learn a few skills.
Apprenticeships, where young people are trained on the job while also getting an education, are generally thought to be
a good thing. Young Potter, a recent graduate of Hogwarts,
is a shining example of such on-the-job training, proving it
is entirely possible to achieve great things at an unexpectedly youthful age given the right amount of talent.
The other lesson we learn from Harry is that you should never judge a book by its cover (or, in the case of the Harry Potter books, two covers). A half-trained boy full of anguish over the murder of his parents by an enemy who was actually coming after him (see also Skywalker, L, from the Yoda School for Jedi Knights) should never be able to best an older, more experienced and entirely evil adversary. But Potter is criminally underestimated by his elder nemesis — every time.
So, if you have a wizard on the team, never discount his ability, even if he looks like a
13 year old. Teamwork is key for the Potter type. Gifted though he is with natural talent in one area, he still needs help in others, and draws on his friends for common sense, intelligent assessment of situations and comic relief.
And a good thing too, because, although likeable enough, it's hard for a cypher locked in an eternal struggle
of good against evil to be much fun. He'll be no laughs
at the office party, but he can always use his broom to tidy
up afterwards.
Jimi Hendrix, Gandalf... learn more business tips from our series of unlikely gurus.
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