This June, The Gallup Organization will publish Living Your Strengths, by Albert L. Winseman, D.Min., Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., and Curt Liesveld, M.Div., M.A. Written especially for religious leaders and other church members, Living Your Strengths discusses the process of helping congregation members investigate their innate talents, and then put them to use in deepening their spiritual growth and finding the right fit in their service to others. This is the third in a series of adaptations from the book.
There is something about the concept of talents and strengths that just "feels right." When we discover our talents, when we give them a name, something resonates deep within us. It is as if our spirits react to this discovery with a resounding "Yes! This is the way it is supposed to be -- this is who I was created to be." Naming our top talents gives us permission to accept our areas of lesser talent and either discard them or manage them.
But our experience is usually just the opposite. At an early age, we're told that it's a virtue to be "well-rounded." You were probably told this was your ticket to teachers' approval, straight A's, a great college, and a successful career -- not to mention money, happiness, and fulfillment. Through schooling, training, and societal expectations, you got the message: Soften your sharp edges. Become smooth and well-rounded. They might as well have said: Become as dull as you possibly can be.
Here's the problem: this conventional wisdom doesn't consider who you really are. And besides, God doesn't make us well-rounded -- different people excel at different things. When we deny our talents and instead focus on our weaknesses, on some level we are implying that we know best and that God somehow made a mistake in gracing us with our unique mix of talents.
When we defy this conventional wisdom and focus on our unique talents, rather than trying to be good at everything, we are more effective at our tasks and roles. We are also more successful, happy, and fulfilled. Just ask Bill. Reflecting on his years as a pastor, Bill realized that even though public speaking didn't come naturally to him, he nevertheless was an effective preacher because he focused on his talents. "The times I seemed to get the most positive feedback on my sermons were the times I was able to link a concept with a personal story -- when I was able to be the most authentic or transparent as a person," he says.
Bill was able to do this because the ability to relate well with people is one of his characteristic strengths (detailed descriptions of Gallup's 34 StrengthsFinder themes of talent are discussed in detail in Living Your Strengths). "‘Relators want to be real; they want to be authentic; they want to be themselves," Bill says. "I was pretty comfortable doing that, even in front of a bunch of people. Now, these were obviously people that I knew pretty well, and so I was willing to let them know who I was. I think it helped me be a better communicator."
As Bill's did for him, your dominant natural responses will determine how you approach a challenge, relate to others, and fulfill God's purpose for your life. And whether you are a pastor, church staff member, or lay leader, surely you collaborate with other people to accomplish the mission of your congregation. Understanding your talents and strengths, and those of the people you work with, can dramatically improve your effectiveness in this regard.
Truly successful and fulfilled people know the deep truth of this maxim: You will be successful because of who you are, not because of who you are not. Effective leaders live out this truth every day.
