In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger are joined by Brad Lomenick. The three discuss a highly debated question: is talent overrated? During their discussion, they answer the following questions.

* Is talent overrated?

* Should you hire talent, tenacity, or teachability?

* What are some ways we often see talent wasted?

* How do you teach tenacity?

* What are the practical ways to stretch someone’s talent?

BEST QUOTES

“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”

“I’ll take a talented team, but that isn’t going to get me to the championship.”

“Don’t praise your kids for being smart. Praise them for working hard.”

“We need to view talent as something you have, not as something you are. You are more than what you are good at.”

“I would rank tenacity #1, teachability #2, and talent #3.”

“Your strengths in one area of competency will take you farther than some of your weaknesses can sustain you.”

“If you only hire talent, that is a leadership placement mentality instead of as leadership development mentality.”

“If you look at the most talented people around you, and you have bought them rather than built them, you are practicing leadership placement.”

“Lack of character can make talent irrelevant.”

“When your competency is out distancing your character, you are soon to be in trouble.”

“I don’t need talent in order to be tenacious.”

“You are who you run with.”

“The best way to teach tenacity is to model it.”

“When you have empathy for the person leading you, you become a better leader.”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Talent is Never Enough by John Maxwell

Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

Peak by Anders Ericsson

Grit by Angela Duckworth

Mindset by Carol S. Dweck

Designed to Lead by Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck

Hungry, Humble, Hustle by Brad Lomenick