MONDAY MUSE (16 April 2010) TALENT
What really is talent? Can a person with a melodious voice be described as talented? Surely not until an audience appreciates his singing! When we speak about somebody’s talent we are obviously talking about a proven performance, not about a latent quality. And hence technique and temperament will determine what can be certified as talent. Among young children, it is easy to notice an instinctive flair for singing, drawing, story-telling and dancing. With inspirational nurturing, natural flairs can be developed into skills. But competitive comparisons with the performances of other children often results in a lack of belief. And hence adults often declare that they cannot sing or draw or dance! John W Gardner wrote, 'There are those who perform great deeds and those that make it possible for others to perform great deeds. There are pathfinders and path preservers. There are those who nurture and those who inspire. There are those whose excellence involves doing something well and those whose excellence lies in being the kind of people they are, lies in their kindness or honesty or courage.' Earlier 'talent' referred to expertise or achievement of a pre-determined objective. Today 'talent' denotes broader nuances of leadership potential, abilities to straddle varied functional areas, cultures and geographic boundaries - all in a seamless manner. Real talent needs the development of soft skills, values, the ability to work in teams, to think out of the box, and importantly, the willingness to learn and share. Each of us are owners to many a talent Let’s be better at developing the latent! - Pravin K. Sabnis
