It seemed a strange question at the time. “Chef or ingredient. Which are you?” The more I have pondered it, the more I appreciate its relevance. What’s it getting at?
I guess behind the question is the probe, “Are you essentially a pawn in someone else’s game – there because in some way you add something to it (a tasty additional ingredient) – or are you in control of the game, deciding what goes in, and what is excluded.”
Most of us would say that it depends on the setting. Sometimes we are more chef than ingredient, other times more ingredient that shaper of the stew.
Apply it to your work context and you can probably give a quick answer. Most people are simply one of the ingredients – part of a much larger team, but hopefully adding value and appreciated for what they bring – or not! After all, we’ve all tasted dishes where we pull a sour face and add, “Oh that’s off. Something’s wrong there.” Or like me you’ve probably been at places where the “blah” verdict has been given and then a few new appointments are made and suddenly the place is humming and runs are piling up on the board. People do make a difference – be that for delicious or blah or ugh.
But then so does the chef. Same set of ingredients and one person is able to work them into a feast, while another turns out fare that produces heartburn and distaste. If you are an ingredient, it matters who the chef is!
So let me ask the question again, but in a slightly different way. Do you prefer to be in charge, or to be a valued player on a team?
It’s not a trick question. We are wired differently, some finding it really hard not to be the person with the final say, others pleased to know they make a constructive contribution without having the weight of being in charge. Leadership is about carrying weight – the weight of responsibility, the weight of having the buck stop with you. And that can be hard. What if you know the dish you are baking has far too much sugar, or butter or whatever. What happens to those who play that role? You often have to bring the news that change is needed – and most people don’t jump up and down in delight when the “change” word is spoken – especially if it impacts them. There is a weight to being a leader – to being the chef.
Regardless of if you are more chef than ingredient or the other way around, there are key questions to consider.
If “ingredient” (and while that may sounds a modest role, it really isn’t), are you contributing to a dish worthy of what you are putting in. After all, if your stew requires a touch of red wine to add a little something, pretty much any plonk will do. But if you are a superbly matured red, why be wasted there? It’s worth thinking about what you bring, and if your setting allows that to flourish. If not, think about the options open to you. That may sound dramatic, but I’ve often heard it said “they really don’t deserve you” – and if it’s true (and it might not be – realistic feedback is so important), why not find a place that values your effort?
If “chef”, are your skills up to the “ingredients” in front of you. Are you taking enough time to upskill to be sure you bring the best out of those entrusted to you. Don’t take your responsibility lightly. And remember – it really isn’t all about you. It’s about how you work with what you have. The best chefs make great dishes out of even modest ingredients – and they don’t blame the ingredients when things go wrong, but take responsibility for how they have blended them together.
Of course ultimately none of us are entirely “chef” or “ingredient”. There are so many things that are outside of our control. It’s why the writer of Ps 20:7 notes that : “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” We trust in the name of the Lord our God who is ultimately in control, and have a settled assurance that our trust will not be misplaced, regardless of if we are called to be “ingredient” or “chef” – for in the hands of the Creator of the Universe we can be quietly sure that good will come. Or to put it differently, we can heed the advice of Ps 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Nice chatting…
Photo by ELEVATE: https://www.pexels.com/photo/chef-preparing-vegetable-dish-on-tree-slab-1267320/
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