Strengths and Talents

Today's AEP included a sharing about strengths (after discussing about LT thinking and Value vs Price previously). Discussing about how interests may not necessarily lead to talents, Ms Kuik also shared about how when one repeatedly clocks hours and 'mileage' at something (linked to 10 000 hours theory for mastery perhaps), one could possibly develop skills and thus talents at it too.

Obviously, when equations were shared on the slides, the math geek in me perked up. Talent multiplied by Time Invested = Strengths. Somehow it looked familiar to Angela Duckworth's Grit equation as commented by the other millenials in the zoom chat function (Talent x Effort = Skill and Skill x Effort = Achievement or Value).

This last part really got me reflecting on my strengths and also the various tests I had taken in the course of my own leadership and development journey. In the school where I was teaching previously, my principal was the former Director, Psychological Services and Director, Psychological Assessment & Research, Education Services Division. She made all of us teaching staff take a free test at VIA Institute on Character 2 years ago. The results were then shared with our ROs and Department Head who were expected to leverage on our strengths to bring the team further.

"A strength is the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific activity." Donald (Don) O. Clifton

I also had the opportunity to take a Clifton's Strengthsfinder test on Gallup.com last year as part of the developmental programmes in MClub where I volunteer and am now a member of the 10th Exco. The top few results can be seen in some of the screenshots below and I do agree with them somewhat (people who know me can agree or disagree). Maybe drop me a comment if you have strong opinions on them :) 

In my top five, I am more dominantly Strategic and then able to influence and build relationships 

Got to hear from Edmund Twohill whom I met just a few days earlier at the yNTUCxINSPIRIT networking [3Hs: Honest, Humility and Humanity]

He shared that he is Entreprenurial and Effective/Efficient in Thought, Word and Deed.

A group photo with Patrick Tay, and other youth leaders including Edmund Twohill