Well OK, so what?!
I have talked about my top 5 dominant talent themes and in some cases, how they relate to each other. I have talked about parts of those themes that I depend on for help, and I watch out for trouble. There are 34 talent themes in CliftonStrengths®, and I have a report that shows all of my 34 themes in rank order. There is far more to this story than just the top 5.
From my top 5, I know that I am:
- Incredibly aware of the borderless and timeless human family,
- Unaffected by the ambiguity and risk of innovation,
- Conceptual, deep, solitary,
- Willing to consider all the possibilities so the best is not missed,
- Committed to excellence.
Talents are a naturally occurring thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied. The Talent themes I discussed so far are my unique innate connection to work and life. The odds of finding another person with the same themes in the same order are about 33 million to one.
When I combine my talents with the knowledge and skills I have developed, they become Strengths. Strengths are the ability to consistently produce a near perfect positive outcome in a specific task. I can understand my talents, I cannot improve or affect them. What I can do is develop, improve and refine the knowledge and skills that combine with my talents to be better. This is the key. This is the what in “so what?”.
I want to stress that these are not boxes into which I fit, or labels that define me. These are the legos of my life, work, and passion. I build things with them. In a situation I can design what I need to be most effective for what others need. My awareness of my Themes and Strengths has brought a sense of calm and a sense of purpose. I know without doubt what I am well suited to do. I know that the uniqueness of who I am with this collection of talent means I have a purpose to fulfill that no one else can fulfill.
When I decided to develop my natural inclination to mentor people into a more formal coaching role, I looked at all the ways I have made meaning for myself. CliftonStrengths® made sense to me. My journey understanding my themes and developing my strengths had an immense impact on how I understood and acted in the world. When Gallup® offered the opportunity to train as a non-employee coach I knew that was the coaching “system” I wanted to use.
Now it is my great delight to help others understand their own top 5 report and all the other facets of what understanding their talents can bring. My skills and knowledge bring me to the world of innovation and to helping startup founders begin with an idea and become the leaders they were meant to be.
Note: Gallup®, CliftonStrengths® and each of the 34 CliftonStrengths theme names are trademarks of Gallup.
The non-Gallup information you are receiving has not been approved and is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths® or BP10® results are solely the beliefs of David Jackson.