I was listening to a leadership Podcast this morning from my good friend John Maxwell and this is what I learned…

Things That Require No Talent:

There are lots of things in life that will help you excel that have nothing to do with talent. You see most people discount themselves for not being as talented as the next person. But what truly puts you at the top of the game is not talent alone, it’s the things that don’t require talent that will get you there.

Here is my list of things that do not require talent:

Passion – Passion will take you a long way, get you through closed doors and sustain you longer than the next person and it does not require talent.

Initiative – You will not get very far without initiative. It is the one thing that will push you further then you have ever been before. Initiative ignites talent and the absence of initiative defuses it.

Teachability – Often a talented person will not listen to those around them because they rely so strongly on their talent. This makes them unteachable. You don’t have to have talent to be teachable, you just have to have a desire to be the best you can possibly be. Be open to teaching, correction and discipline, it will separate you from the pack.

Positive Attitude – The right attitude doesn’t cost anything and requires no specific skill, yet it can literally set the course for your life and for your work. Have a winning attitude it cost nothing but pays back great dividends.

Courage – The courage to act, to take risk, to move forward and to step out has nothing to do with your skill set or talent, it has to do with a choice. Ask yourself what kind of person you’ll be, courageous or cowardly.

Focus – People who are focused get things done. Talent will not get it done for you, talent will not help you complete a task or mission, but focus (a non-talent characteristic) is what will help you get it done and then some.

Dreaming Big – No one can stop you from dreaming big. It takes no talent to dream big.

It takes more than talent to be a “Talent Plus” person. You have to put choices beside your talent in order to succeed in life.

Live with passion!