Talent and Character

Talent can help us be successful, but it isn’t the only thing that contributes to our achievements. It’s a combination of talent and character that can lead to meaningful achievements.

While talented athletes are likely to win more games and talented students are likely to achieve higher test scores, character skills also play a large part in these successes. To be successful, we also rely on our character skills like strong work ethic, leadership, perseverance, integrity, etc.

Developing our character skills can advance our talents. If you want to improve, ask yourself:

• What character skill could I improve to better maximize my talent?

Or, think of someone you teach, coach, parent, or lead.

• What character skill(s) could you help that person develop to maximize their talent?

Character Skills That Can Drive Success

If you aren’t sure where to get started, here are a few character skills that affect performance. 

• Determination
• Adaptability
• Positive Attitude
• Effort
• Diligence
• Dependability
• Imagination
• Enthusiasm
• Ambition