Part 3 of our 8-part Strengths Connection Series
Welcome back to the third installment of our eight-part series on strengths development for individuals and teams. I’m Jen Pasquale, founder of Lead with Curiosity, and I’m excited to continue exploring how you can tap into your natural talents to unlock your potential.
In the first two parts of this series, we laid the foundation for understanding strengths and why they matter. In today's video, we’re going to dive deeper into the concept of talents—what they are, how to recognize them, and how to transform them into powerful strengths you can rely on every day.
If you’d rather read, we've got you covered—find a quick summary of the video's main points below.
What Are Talents?
Gallup defines talents as the natural patterns in the way you think, feel, and behave. These are the innate qualities that come effortlessly to you—things that are so integrated into how you operate that you might not even recognize them as special at first. But these talents are exactly that: special, because they are unique to you.
Think of a talent as something that makes you say, “This is just how I am.” Maybe it’s the ease with which you build relationships, or how quickly you can strategize through challenges, or perhaps it’s your ability to keep everything organized. These talents are your raw, natural gifts.
But how do you turn a talent into a strength?
From Talent to Strength
While talents come naturally, turning them into true strengths takes awareness and intention. A strength is a talent that has been refined, developed, and applied in ways that make it consistently reliable. Strengths are talents you’ve honed over time, so you can call on them when you need them most.
One analogy I often use when thinking about strengths is that of a dial. Imagine a dial that can be turned up or down depending on the situation. Your strengths are very much like this dial. The more self-aware you become, the more you’ll learn to recognize when a particular strength needs to be turned up to help you power through a task—and when it might need to be dialed back to allow for something else.
Let’s use Achiever, one of the more common talents, as an example. Achievers are individuals who thrive on getting things done. Their energy comes from crossing items off their to-do lists and seeing tangible progress. An Achiever’s sense of success often comes from what they accomplish in a day, not necessarily from the interactions they had.
Now, having an Achiever on your team can be a huge asset—especially when you need someone who can drive results and keep things moving forward. But there are times when the strength of achieving might need to be dialed down. For example, in moments where relationships and collaboration are more important, achievers may need to shift their focus from task completion to building connections with others.
This is where the magic happens—learning when to turn that dial-up and when to turn it down is key to developing a well-rounded strength.
Embracing the Full Range of Your Strengths
A crucial part of strengths development is understanding that every talent has a full range. It’s not about always being at 100% all the time—it’s about knowing when to lean in and when to step back.
This balance is what allows you to bring out the best in yourself and in others.
There are no bad talents, and there’s no perfect strengths profile. Each person’s unique mix of talents brings something valuable to the table. The goal is to get comfortable with the full spectrum of your talents, to learn how to articulate what makes you special, and to use that awareness to enhance your interactions with others.
I hope this has given you a better understanding of how to start turning your talents into strengths. It’s a process that takes time, but it’s incredibly rewarding.
What’s Next?
I hope this has helped you understand the range of talents and how we can fine-tune them like a dial. Developing this awareness is key to strengthening individual and team performance.
Next week, we’ll dive into theme dynamics, a fascinating look at how our talents work together to shape our unique contributions.
Until then, stay curious!
Gallup®, CliftonStrengths®, StrengthsFinder®, the 34 CliftonStrengths® Talent Theme Names® and Domains® are all trademarks of Gallup, Inc. Copyright © 2022 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
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