How can you develop your natural talents to make you an even higher performer?
A few blogs ago I went on and on about the idea that we can achieve exceptional personal performance by further developing our natural talents – even when we are already very good at something.
People ask me – how can I do this? How do I get even better at something I am already very good at? There are the usual responses like reading more books and taking more classes, etc. But if you really want to master a subject area or a skill, try teaching it to others.
Teaching others on a topic that you are very good at is a win – win – win.
Win #1: You get to contribute to the development of others and that feels great.
Win #2: By requiring yourself to teach others, you will find the need to dig deeper into the hows and whys of what you do. The questions that people ask you will force you to understand the topic area even more completely. They will ask questions you had not thought of.
Win #3: Teaching will be an exhilarating experience for you! You will be great at it. Your natural passion and talent will shine through.
This does not have to be a “formal class” for you to teach. Volunteer to teach something to your co-workers – maybe even over a brown bag lunch. Find out if local associations or clubs need guest speakers on various topics. There are lots of venues where you can share your wisdom.
I find that I learn a ton while teaching nonprofit executives in my consulting work and teaching the very talented graduates students in Strategy courses at the University of Maryland. I am sure you will find the same to be true for you!
