Socrates coached Plato. Plato coached Aristotle. Obi-Wan coached Luke.
The first two helped invent western philosophy. The third rocked a sweet brown hoodie, was a legendary Jedi Master and mentored the peace keeper of the galaxy, ‘ol Luke Skywalker.
So, stop and think: Who is your trusted sounding board on these important decisions? Who is helping you grow and focus your talents and abilities?
Who’s your Obi-Wan?
Developing Your Unique Talents
There are few constants in our world. The way we work is changing daily. It’s fascinating to ponder the millions of jobs that will be created in the next decade that don’t even exist yet! Check this out: 10 Jobs That Didn’t Exist 10 Years Ago.
This future is very cool and very exciting–IF–you know how to take advantage of it.
Fortunately, one constant in life is the way you naturally think, feel and behave. Your natural talents are your unique gift to the world. Whether you fully leverage them or not, these talents are at your fingertips every day.
Gallup’s best-selling book and talent assessment, StrengthsFinder, is an incisive first step in discovering and harnessing your unique talents. Over 40 years of human behavioral research has given us a pool of 34 talent themes that appear dominant, supporting or to a lesser extent in each of us.
For example, if you were likely to “go with the flow” as a child, you’re likely still creating your future one day at a time as an adult (Adaptability).
Your Adaptability talent means you’re very comfortable responding to the demands of the moment. You’re flexible and calm while others may be upset by changing daily events. This is a powerful talent that helps you build relationships and excel within teams tackling dynamic projects.
Or, if you excelled at anticipating potential obstacles as a nine-year-old, you have an innate planning talent (Strategic).
This is still prevalent at 29, 39 or 79. Your Strategic talent means you see future repercussions better than others. Your ability to “see around corners” helps maximize not just your time and energy but your team’s as well.
Your Personal Edge
Someone who isn’t particularly strong in either of the above talents has probably already crossed your mind.
Person A gets upset if there’s a break in his routine. Person B is too busy racing “to finish” that she doesn’t stop to consider better alternatives.
However, if you have dominant Adaptability or Strategic talents, you’re actually energized when you’re juggling changing routines or contemplating superior alternatives. What is a natural way of thinking, feeling and behaving to you may be anathema to someone else.
Congratulations. You now understand part of the power and edge of your own natural talents.
Making Your Best Even Better
A key reason to work with someone to help you capitalize on your natural talents is because they are sustainable.
When was the last time you felt invigorated at the end of a long work day?
When you apply your natural talents to the task at hand it simply takes less energy. In fact, you actually derive energy from using your natural talents.
If you have an amazing mixture of talents–and you do–how are you making the most of them?
While you’re probably focused on something other than creating the foundations of modern society (Plato and Aristotle) or wielding the Force (Luke), you’re still most likely at some type of crossroads in your work, life or community.
Don’t leave the best you have to offer on the shelf this year. Do your due diligence and connect with a strong coach to help you focus your natural talent.
DW
*Please feel free to circle back here for parts two and three on how to discover, grow and focus your innate talents.
**And, if you have any hot sports opinions about how a coach has helped you, please let us know at hello@strengthslauncher.com. We’d love to hear about it!
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