A talent It is the natural capacity that a person has to carry out a certain activity or task. For instance: sing, draw or play the piano.
All people have one or more talents, which are abilities that allow them to stand out above others in a discipline or activity. These activities can be found in various fields and can be sports, artistic, professional, leadership, creative, management, sales, among others.
Although the idea of ’talent’ is often associated with the innate ability to do something, it is important to mention the importance of developing talent through effort, motivation and perseverance. Many talented people spend much of their lives rehearsing, learning, and honing to excel in a discipline.
There are multiple types of talents both in the personal and social fields of the individual and they are usually appreciated from the first years of the person’s life. Once discovered, a talent can be empowered or unused (due to lack of interest or resources).
There are some talents that are developed in popular disciplines that attract a large number of followers and that generate a spectacle, such as sports or artistic shows. People who display their talents in these areas make their talent a job and spend much of their time perfecting it. In addition, the word talent is widely used in the corporate sphere to refer to those employees who stand out within an area or have the ability to perform a certain function.
Talent and skill
There are some disagreements about the definition of talent because, while some believe that it implies the idea of something innate, others differentiate between innate talent, the product of genetic inheritance, and acquired talent, one that is not genetically inherited, but can be developed .
In many opportunities the term ability is also used as a synonym for talent. And here, too, a distinction is made between innate skills and acquired skills (those skills that are worked on and learned, such as social skills).
How to enhance talent?
All people are born with some talent. In some individuals, this talent is very clear and stands out above the capacities or abilities of the majority of the population, such is the case of prominent sports, mathematics or music professionals.
In these situations, talent is innate because it is part of the genetic inheritance that an individual receives and that allows him to carry out an activity or develop in a field in a natural way and without this implying greater effort. In most cases, these people show from small signs of standing out in a discipline.
However, the presence of innate talent to carry out a certain activity does not guarantee that the person can excel in carrying it out or that they are necessarily interested in developing it. All talent implies first recognizing it and then working towards improving and exercising it.
The presence of an innate talent will help a person to excel in an area, but that does not mean that a person without innate talent cannot excel in a certain goal. With work and effort, you may be able to do it and thus develop what some call acquired skills or talents.
In some cases there is what is known as hidden or potential talent, which is that talent that is within a person but is not recognized or is not put into practice due to lack of interest or opportunities.
Examples of talents
- Musical talent. It is the talent that an individual presents when he has developed abilities or skills in the field of music. This can be seen both in singing and in the practice of an instrument or in music theory.
- Sports talent. It is the talent that an individual presents when they have the skill or ability to practice a certain sport. This can occur in sports or group and individual disciplines and can be seen in an amateur way or in high performance athletes.
- Creative talent. It is the talent that an individual presents when he has the ability to generate new and original things. This ability is innate in all individuals, but some people may have an easier time executing creative thinking. Creative talent is observed in all areas of development of a human being and can be applied in any discipline.
- Talent in personnel management. It is the talent that an individual has to lead a group and guide it towards a goal. This type of talent is highly appreciated by organizations because it involves leadership and teamwork skills.
- Talent in managing extreme situations. It is the talent that the individual has that can think and execute actions that allow him to cope with extraordinary or difficult situations.
- Organizational talent. It is the talent that an individual has to run an organization taking into account all the factors and resources that compose it.
- Talent in painting or other artistic disciplines. It is the talent that an individual has to develop in artistic disciplines, such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, engraving, among many others.
- Talent in gastronomy. It is the talent that an individual has when combining different ingredients to prepare a plate of food.
- Talent in customer service. It is the talent that an individual has to listen to the ideas, suggestions or complaints of a person and to be able to give a correct answer that solves or evacuates doubts or queries.
- Talent in the sales area. It is the talent that a person has to offer a product and to be able to highlight its characteristics or functionalities in order to sell it.
- Entrepreneurial talent. It is the talent that an individual has to plan and execute ideas and carry out new projects that involve innovation and advancement.
- Talent in handling money. It is the talent that an individual has to manage a certain sum of money and organize it according to the desired objective.
- Investment management talent. It is the talent that an individual has to seek and receive investments to carry out a project.
- Talent in mathematics. It is the talent that an individual has to reason mathematically and to be able to solve calculations and problems.
- Talent in languages. It is the talent that an individual has to easily learn a language, be it the mother tongue or another.
- Talent for teaching. It is the talent that an individual has to transmit knowledge to a group and be able to guide it throughout the learning process.
- Writing talent. It is the talent that an individual has to communicate messages, ideas or opinions through the written word.
- Talent in dance. It is the talent that an individual has to move the body following a musical rhythm. There are different types of dances that involve different physical abilities.
- Talent for public speaking. It is the talent that an individual has to transmit a message or idea orally in front of an audience.
- Talent in communication. It is the talent that an individual has to clearly transmit a message or idea to another or others, either orally or in writing.
- Scientific talent. It is the talent that an individual has to investigate and develop within the area of science.
- Talent in acting. It is the talent that an individual has to develop in artistic disciplines such as acting.