TIP #25: Maybe Talent vs Skill Isn’t the Issue

Talent vs skill is an age-old debate. So which is more important, talent or skill? These two terms both refer to one’s ability and are often used interchangeably, but they’re really very different.

Talent is a natural ability to do something well without initially having to work very hard at it.

Skill also relates to doing something well but is a learned ability. Skills are developed and acquired over time, with practice, effort, and commitment.

Talent vs skill… in the presence of talent

As a high school student, I was in an Art class with some remarkably talented kids. We all hung out in the ‘Art Room’ whenever we had a few free minutes or an opening in our schedules.

And it didn’t hurt that our Art teacher, Mr. Muck, was the coolest guy on the planet.

I was aware, however, that I was not in the same league talent-wise as some of these other students. I don’t remember the details of what led to this conversation, but one day, Mr. Muck took me aside.

It was mid-way through our senior year, and art school scholarships and contest awards were rolling in for my peers. It seemed that with each completed assignment, their artistic gifts grew more obvious and the “talent gap” between us widened.

This class could have been the poster-child for the talent vs skill debate.

And these students were not just “good at Art”. They were good at EVERYTHING. They were at the top of our class academically, national champions in their chosen sports, and gifted musicians. And, they were very, very good at Art.

While it’s never good to compare yourself to others, it’s hard not to sometimes. I must have looked discouraged that day… I really don’t remember. But what I do remember, and will never forget, is what my teacher said to me privately after class.

Some words of wisdom I’ll never forget

He told me that in all his years of teaching, he never had a class with this amount of talent. Then he looked me in the eye and said, “But talent will only get you so far. Interest is more important than talent.”

He explained that long after some of my peers had moved on to other pursuits, it would be my enthusiastic interest in Art that would keep me moving forward.

As it turns out, several of my friends did go on to have very successful art-related careers. But Mr. Muck’s words that day were the encouragement I needed to keep pursuing my own life-long love of art.

The formula for growth and success

It’s true that having talent will get your students out of the starting gate quicker. Talent may create possibilities but it doesn’t guarantee success. The formula for growth and success is the same whether they were born with talent or not.

Lots of hard work, practice, and just sticking with it is what will take kids the farthest. Maybe the real issue isn’t talent vs skill. Maybe ‘interest’ is the most important factor of all.

Feel free to share this with someone who needs to hear this message!

Keep all students encouraged

To keep all of your students encouraged, the way you praise them is key. Look for opportunities to catch students doing something right.

It can be helpful to think of praising something you see or something you hear. Be specific with your praise, and whenever possible, try to relate it to an action that could be repeated.

an inspiring quote:

“You’re born with talent. You learn a skill. I don’t think there are many places where talent is the key driver of success. The biggest exception might be that a drive to acquire skill could be a talent…” ~ Seth Godin

To be a “lifelong learner” is perhaps the most valuable “talent” of all.

The idea that anyone could train for a single career is nearly obsolete now. Next year’s ‘dream job’ may not even exist yet. With technology advancing so rapidly, one thing we can be sure of is change.

No matter what career path a student chooses, the need to pursue continual learning will be a given. The desire to keep learning could be the most important quality for a student, or anyone, to possess.

…and a question worth considering:

Is there a story from your life that might encourage your students today?