What exactly is "Talent" anyways?

Talent is such a loaded word.

It reeks of young go-getter types in overpriced suits and designer shoes.  Or, we think of messy, IT guys who can decode a nuclear bomb by whistling into a program they built.  Both are sometimes true in our declaration of anointing someone with a label "talented"

Is that fair?  If i can make a product that solves a big problem, am I talented?  What if I can't setup payment and distribution or sales channels and support?  I made this great, innovative thing, though?  Why can't all that be handled by someone else? Well, it can and often times is being handled by others.  These are the people offering the true measure of talent, which is to take a product designed for a problem and turn it into a sustainable, growing business.

I like to think of talent as something hidden and underdeveloped in people that exudes their greatest passion, but what the hell is that??

Sales talent is easier to measure due to the hard revenue and profit margins being traceable to the sales professional.  However, some sales people offer much more than simply a result, they offer market development ideas with practical tactics.  Sales people think about the last mile.

Talent.  So loaded a term.  What determines your talent quotient?  Can it be measured?  Is it sustainable or momentary?  Talent isn't always forever - want proof? see every young movie-star from Hollywood, ever.

Talent is bred and born in many ways.  Talented athletes are provided a gene base to catapult their efforts in developing their natural talent.  In many ways, military brats who move and adapt to many global environments throughout childhood develop talent in inter-personnel skills, sales acumen and cultural sensitivity.

Talent is no doubt something that we need to know how to inspire among those that have a passion to share their talent, and we need to inspire those who keep their talents guarded to unlock and develop that talent.  With a focus on talent, we can reduce our risk profile and illuminate our HR practices to fast-track those that are deemed talented.

Lastly, let's take it back up to the organizational level...

Most companies develop products and services to solve problems that exist already.

Great, Talented companies create solutions for immediate problems we know about today, problems we didn't know about until you solved them proactively in addition to prepare to solve problems we may face in the future.  Our challenge is sometimes not knowing the challenges tomorrow, but we must anticipate and project the future to be ready now to support those risks.  Talent is the key to unlocking that mystery.  People solve problems, technology and process are the vehicles.

Talent.  Unloaded.