Talent isn’t finite

“Talent is rare.” We've accepted this as fact. It isn't.

The idea that talent is something you either have or you don't has shaped hiring decisions, performance reviews and career trajectories for decades.

It’s also shaped the way that we think about ourselves and reflect on our own progress. It's the quiet voice behind every ‘If only...’

Talent is not a fixed resource. It's a living thing, shaped by environment, expectation and opportunity. Carol Dweck's decades of research on growth mindset proved this. People rise or fall to the level of the culture around them.

The organisations I work with that thrive don't just find talent. They create the conditions for it to emerge. They invest in people others have overlooked, give them room to fail and the support to grow. Pinning your hopes on one high performer while neglecting everyone else isn't a strategy. It's a gamble.

These organisations recognise that leaders are made, and even though we are born with a specific set of personality traits, it doesn’t mean we have to die with the same ones.

Talent is infinite and we all have the opportunity to continually improve how ‘talented’ we are. The only question is whether the people around you believe that too.