"Do You Think He’ll Give Me a Brain?"

The Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz is our favorite character because of the many powerful lessons he can teach us all.  When he first met Dorothy he surely hit the nail on the head with saying “But some people without a brain do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?”  It seems that brilliance and talking are oftentimes inversely proportional.  God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason!  Patients love to talk and our listening to them makes them feel valued and appreciated.  Some of the best assistants we have worked with are those who have least to say and let the patients tell their story, whether it be about their family, job or foot problem.

Dorothy invited the Scarecrow to join her on her journey along the yellow brick road to the Emerald City.  He responded with “Do you think he’ll give me a brain?” and Dorothy provided an answer that has led many to much success… “I couldn’t say.  But even if he didn’t you’d be no worse off than you are now.”  In our offices we are often anxious to try new things to improve efficiency, reduce workload and increase productivity.  We are afraid of risk and failure, not realizing that in a sense if we do not grow, we shrink.  Our managers and doctors lose sight of the fact that if their staff is not empowered, job satisfaction shrinks along with the employees’ feeling of value to the practice.

Most successful people will tell you that a common thread among their faction is that they surround themselves with others who possess skills that they lack.  Whether it be intelligence, communication skills or contacts, if you identify a skill you don’t have, you can achieve success by collaborating with a person who has the ability, talent and training you need.  The scarecrow reflected this quite simply when he said “Look, I won’t be any trouble.….because I won’t try to manage things, because I can’t think.”  He thought he would be a threat to Dorothy if he tried to manage things, not realizing that this was just what Dorothy was looking for in the new land, someone to be by her side to partner against any apple-throwing trees and wicked witches that may cross her path.

When they finally reached the Wizard, it was obvious that along their journey it was the Scarecrow who indeed led the crew and drove most of the decisions.  The most compelling lesson learned through studying the Scarecrow’s voyage is that most of us have all we need to get what we want, but lack the confidence and faith to believe we can get there.  The Wizard never even came close to giving the Scarecrow brains.  All he did was merely make him believe that he had brains.  The Wizard’s message was crystal clear:  “Why, anybody can have a brain.  That’s a very mediocre commodity.   Back where I come from we have universities.…seats of great learning.…where men go to become great thinkers.  And when they come out, they think deep thoughts, and with no more brains than you have.  But, they have one thing you haven’t got, a diploma!”  This diploma made the Scarecrow believe, and so can you!