There is an ancient parable that talks about what three men did with their respective talents. In those olden times, “talents” referred to bundles of money whereas today we think of our talents as those things we are especially gifted in performing such as writing, painting, horseback riding, accounting, public speaking, woodworking, playing the piano, listening to others, and so on. Today when we say “talents” we are talking about the natural gifts we possess to do certain things with specialness. Call them money or call them gifts, talents and what we do with them matter to every type of investor. . . and to every type of leader.
The parable tells the story of three people who receive talents. The first man takes his talents into the marketplace and trades them, thereby doubling his money and increasing the value of his talents and those of the people he bargained with. The second man invests his talents in the public marketplace where he triples his money and enjoys a beautiful life caring for his family, buying fine things and building up the communities around him. The third man buries his talents in the backyard. Frightened of losing what little he has, the man hides his talents from everyone including himself. No one ever stole his talents but the man never got to enjoy them either. No one ever knew of his great potential wealth because he never shared it. This man died no richer or poorer than he began.
This story is meant to teach us three valuable lessons as successful leaders.
The first is that leading a life of passion means not only acknowledging that you have special talents or skills but truly developing them for your enjoyment and the inspiration of the community. When you are in your element, doing what you do best, you are your most honest and unabashed self. This is important for the world to see! Human beings are capable of so many incredible feats but we will never know our potential if we do not see it reflected in the people around us. Be assured there is a reason you want to dance, to sing, to write, or to cycle. Trust your instincts and push your boundaries.
The second lesson here is a little more subtle but so vital to your success: Invest your talents. How do you invest your natural gifts? Simply by practicing them yourself as well as mentoring others who are looking to grow and to learn. You are a vessel through which others can prosper if you honor your talents in this fruitful way. I know an extremely talented and passionate writer. She could write from sun up until sun down, loving the process and creating intricate and lovely pieces. She is extraordinarily gifted and she is no where close to arrogant. What she does with her gift, in addition to growing her talent through advanced studies and hard work, is to tutor young people who are struggling in Language Arts. This woman’s talents are invested in helping others to progress, to develop, to grow. As she becomes a master, she pulls others up with her.
The final lesson comes from the last man in the story who buries his talents in the ground. He was so terrified that someone might see them that he hid them even from himself. What if his talents were embarrassingly small and people laughed at him? What if his talents made him seem arrogant and people thought he was a show-off? What if his talents were so measly compared to others’ that it wasn’t even worth sharing his anyway? Too wracked with feelings of fear, self-consciousness, and guilt he decided it was better to live as though his talents did not exist. This is the story of a life lived without passion; a life never shared; a self never explored. This is the story of the tragic waste that comes from fear.
Your unique natural gifts, whatever they may be, are a huge part of the way you lead and the success you will know. To bury them – to live as though they do not exist within you – is to completely stop and abandon your path to true success and worth. Do not be ashamed or embarrassed to share the things you are good at doing. Your talents are what will lead you to greatness! Think of yourself as a teacher and mentor and allow others to benefit from your skills. There is nothing more inspiring than to see someone else engaged in what inspires them. This is not arrogance and it is not a “waste of time.” This is discovering yourself on your path to excellence.
One more thing to remember: when someone else shares his or her talents with you, know you are being given a unique gift. As a leader, it is your responsibility to treat this gift as such with great care. Be respectful, grateful, and engaged. Leaders know how important it is to multiply the talents shown to them so that the entire team can know succes.
