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Marketing was never my forte. Recently, I was talking to some people about my struggles with marketing before we discovered natural marketing styles (more about that later).  Before I finished my sentence, one of the people I was speaking to said:“  I can tell you how to do that. Here’s all you have to do. First you do this… Then you do this … It’s that simple. You can do it, but you have to want to.”.

What do you think of when you think of the word 'networking?' If you're like most people, what comes to mind is a room full of strangers with their business cards in hand, trying to sell you on what they can do for you. The sort of place where you're likely to hear one 90-second elevator speech after another, but have very few real conversations.

Leadership development is defined by Wikipedia as “any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization.” As one might expect from this definition, what constitutes leadership development is highly dependent upon the definition of leadership.

When I worked in the corporate world I learned to appreciate that people perceive things differently. By understanding the differences in the way people see the world, what is important to them, the conclusions they draw, and the actions they take, I was able to put people in positions that used their natural skills, surround myself with people who complimented rather than mirrored my skills, and assemble teams that had both the right amount of creative tension and synergy.

When I speak to groups about Talent Advantage I always begin by clearly defining everything the concept encompasses. Simply put, Your Talent Advantage is the idea that each of us is born with a unique set of natural skills. When we recognize and develop these skills into their full potential we create our “Talent Advantage.” When speaking, I always receive smiles and knowing nods from the audience. It seems that we are all familiar with the concept in some shape or form, and more importantly the concept resonates with what we know to be true. Yet the amazing thing to me is how many people “understand” the concept and yet fail to truly live it.”

You have worked hard to build something of value and meaning – a thriving business, a successful partnership, a well running organization – and one day you realize that it is time to move on to other pursuits.

So, you’ve got something to say that you think others will find valuable. You’ve created an information based product and coaching services to enhance and optimize its value. And people are knocking down your doors to buy!  Unfortunately, while the first part may be true, without a lot of effort the second rarely is.”

After thirty years in business coaching, there are a few things I know to be true: 1) different people have different innate skills and abilities, 2) most people are currently performing jobs that are not supported by their natural skills and abilities, and 3) when people connect with jobs that are supported by their natural skills and abilities, they shine. All of which I’ve always found reflected in the following quote from Confucius: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

In the first two parts of this five part series on PST and leadership we looked at the nature of leadership and the five qualities of leadership affected by PST. In the last three articles look at how each specific PS leads. Each article looks at two PST based opposite PS and provide real world examples of each style*.

In Part 1 of this five part series on leadership and PST we defined leadership as a reciprocal relationship in which one person points in a direction and others follow.