"Talents" vs. "Strengths" - What's the difference?

As you are becoming familiar with Gallup Strengths, you might be thinking to yourselves, "Well, how does Talent play a role in all of this?" That's a great thought because... they are different! I want to share with you all the differences between a Talent and a Strength.

First- let me tell you this: EVERYONE has talent. Yes- YOU! Each person on this planet has natural talents. 

A TALENT is a natural ability to do something well. It’s like an instinct- a response or action that shows up as a pattern that you can easily replicate: something you can do again, again, and again without much “work”.

For example, this could be:

- Remembering people’s names easily
- Solving puzzles and riddles
- Speaking to a crowd
- Recalling which stores are best for certain products and needs

Some of you might be thinking about your friends and family who might be “naturally” gifted in let’s say sports or mathematics. While talent CAN show up in these ways, the source of a talent goes deeper than that.

According to Dr. Clifton, founder of Strengths, there are 34 natural talents each person has. These 34 talents are universal.

Though, each person has a set of talents that they use all the time- the ones that come naturally to them.

So, back to your friend who wins at every game they play- one of their natural talents could be Competition: where they are intrinsically driven to want to be the best at whatever they are doing.

Or, maybe you have a family member who can make an outfit out of any fabric or color combination- a natural talent they may have is Maximizer: the ability to maximize an opportunity to make something not just good, but great.

But, if you let your natural talents stay as talents- they won’t become a Strength.

A STRENGTH is a talent that not just comes naturally to you, but you can do perfectly with consistency.

A talent becomes a Strength through awareness and intentional practice.

And remember- each of us have these natural talents! So, over our lifetime and lived experiences, we have subconsciously embraced our natural talents and used them often enough that in-fact, they become our Strengths.

So there you have it! A talent is what comes naturally to you, and a Strength is a talent that you have intentionally practiced through and worked on that you can perform with close perfection and accuracy.

For those of you who may already know your talents or Strengths, I’d love to hear about them! Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow along to learn more about Strengths and how they can apply to your life!

And remember, you are full of potential and you deserve to not just feel it-
but embrace it!