Managing your Talents [30] - Developer

By Dries Lombaard

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Developer is the following:

"You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success.  You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth — a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments — invisible to some — are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.  Your patience in developing others is one of your strongest virtues."

But a talent like this on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of Developer?

Your need and ability to patiently develop potential from something most people won't even recognize as potential is what makes you so special.  One of the strongest virtues that goes with this talent themes, is probably patience.  You have tons of it.  But, sometimes that could be to the detriment of the person you develop, if you do not manage it well. 
Patience is a virtue. When patience is applied in the right situation and environment, it achieves more than urgency ever will.  But patience could also "hijack" you.  I have often found that developers so loves the activities of developing people, that they want to make it last as long as possible. There may be a time when someone need to go to a next level of development and pick up speed, and you may not want to "lose" them. Be careful of this.  When it becomes about your need to develop more than the persons need to be developed, you are not contributing a well managed talent.

How?  

One of the best ways to make sure your Developer do not hijack you, is through a complimentary partnership.  And one of the best talents to partner with in this, is Maximizers.  The Maximizer talent is just as keen to develop potential....but mostly they lack your patience.  Where you patiently take someone from "zero to hero", they get energized by taking someone from "good to great".  Sometimes that is exactly the next level people need. Get next to Maximizers and get to understand them.  Then work with them.  They will love you for your patience, and you will love them for their speed.  (Read more about Maximizer here).

You need to develop others.  But one of your most important needs, that you may be ignoring at your own detriment, is your need to be developed yourself. 
You cannot give what you do not have.  Developers need to be developed - constantly.  Your talent is not only linked to the skill and knowledge which goes with development, but also with your own experience and journey in being developed.  Many Developers ignore this.  And that may cause your Developer talent to be depleted.  Manage this well.

How?

This may sound simple...because it is.  "Get developed".  You may even want to be maximized.  Make sure you surround yourself with developers, mentors and influencers who can invest in you and your talent.  This should be an intentional move as it won't simply happen. Reach out to those you believe can add value to your journey.  Remember that it energize them to develop you just as it does you to develop others.

Go develop - others and yourself.  Your ability and patience is precious to the world.


Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strategic Leadership Institute and NeuWorx, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade.  He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator.