Out of all the talents, the Enthusiasts may be the easiest to identify because they are often the most prominent, both in terms of their verbal contributions to any conversations as well as their bubbly and their ability to create laughter around them.  Enthusiasts may not be complete optimists but their vibrant personality often misleads people into thinking so. Nevertheless, Enthusiasts are often the people that one turns to when they need a listening ear or just wants to lighten up, besides the Nurturers.

They also have an ability to turn mundane things and activities into interesting endeavours.  They make work enjoyable and are often able to see the positive side of things. It’s almost impossible not to be affected by the positive vibes  of Enthusiasts. Thus, Enthusiasts often have the privilege of being asked to be the team player who gel people together. This is because most Enthusiasts have the ability to communicate with most individuals of diverse personalities. 

Because Enthusiasts are spontaneous, they are often individuals who like variety. Hence, Enthusiasts are also among the individuals who will often pursue the latest trends and look for the latest technical gadgets in town. This tendency might not be true for all Enthusiasts but it does illustrate the fact that Enthusiasts are individuals who like changes and have fun at the same time.

This desire to have fun is actually a weakness of Enthusiasts, as they often do not have a tendency to take on heavy responsibilities. As taking on responsibility means tackling tasks with intense seriousness, Enthusiasts have a tendency to steer away from it. However, with encouragement from friends, Enthusiasts might just overcome this psychological barrier. 

After looking at the Nurturer and the Reformer, it’s probably good to look at another type of talent, known as the Achiever.

Nurturers thrive in relationship building and Reformers have their strengths in following and achieving their life goals. The Achievers, on the other hand, have their eyes on achievements. To the Achievers, achievements are their life. Every moment in their lives are dedicated to achieving something. These can be in the form of academic qualifications, sports achievements (it is interesting to note that trophies are especially important to them since it’s a physical symbol of their effort and achievements), positive job appraisals and compliments from friends or any form of contributions that they consider valuable.

While it’s true that some Achievers do well in life in terms of financial stability and/or wealth acquisition, most Achievers do not measure their worth in life in terms of monetary terms but rather, in their achievements. It can be a closing of a sales deal. It can be a contribution of an article to a magazine and seeing it in print. It can also be the completion of a 3.5km run. As can be observed, monetary acquisition is not a prerequisite in the lives of  the Achievers. But making positive contributions through their own effort is.

Achievers can be found in all walks of life and their entire lives are often purposeful. Once they have directed their focus on their life goals to contribute their abilities to make the world a better place, they will almost always achieve them with excellent results. Their existence is hence beneficial to society and their contributions immense.  

It is important to note that the Achievers are often independent workers. If they are invited to work in a team, it is important that the objectives of the team work be aligned with the objectives of the Achievers and that efforts be made to ensure that the achievers be placed within a specific job domain where they have full autonomy. For example, should Achievers be tasked to work with a team in an advertising company for a publicity campaign, it will be advisable for Achievers to be given full autonomy over a certain product line. Giving Achievers a sense of control over their work is vital to them doing their best.

It can be observed that Achievers often have a tendency to do their best and excel in what they do. This tendency of theirs actually reveals their primary weakness, which is their competitive nature. While competitive nature is good for solitary activities (such as writing and editing) and solitary sports (such as jogging and cycling), being competitive is detrimental to their effectiveness as team players. This is because they have a tendency to stand out from the rest. In another words, Achievers are more of an individualist than a conformist.  

But all is not lost. Achievements are often sought after by employers who need people to spearhead projects. This is because the Achievers’ passions for achievements are crucial to the success of any tasks. Hence, Achievers are often regarded as an asset to an organisation.  Nevertheless, care has to be taken to ensure that Achievers are given the flexibility and freedom in their work.

Achievers are at their best as independent workers and when empowered, they are almost unmatched in terms of work efficiency.

Some possible career options for Achievers will be:

• All professions where the Achievers have the expertise, flexibility and freedom to maximise their abilities to the fullest.

Unlike the Nurturers who accommodate others, the Reformers are the complete opposite.  They do not back down easily when they have made a decision, even in the face of intense opposition.  Nevertheless, Reformers will still often abide by any existing hierarchical structures.

While this may seem like a weakness (since individuals who challenge others directly usually suffer a severe backlash), this is – in fact- a strength. Why is this so? This is because the Reformers are not easily swayed by the opinions of others and hence, are often able to carve out their own paths in life. While the Nurturers’ accommodating and caring nature often win the affection of others and hence attract friends to them, the Reformers’ attributes and antics usually ensure the fulfillments of their life goals. They are almost always immune to any form of distractions and external opinions, leaving them with the freedom and flexibility to pursue their own dreams. 

Reformers also have their principles, and they usually adhere to these principles very rigidly and stringently. They impose a very high standard both for others and themselves. And Reformers can be very hard on themselves if there’s a breach of this principles.  For example, if Reformers value punctuality, they will ensure that they will make it to the meeting venue before the prearranged meeting time. And they will expect others to do the same. If Reformers are late, they can be very harsh on themselves.  The good thing about this trait of theirs is that through this personality, Reformers develop discipline and order, both in themselves and others.

In the world of the Reformers, there are only two colours: black and white. There are no gray areas. It’s either that one is right, or one is wrong. Consider a scenario whereby Reformers realise that their best friend is cheating. While most of us will take some time to consider the ethical decision of reporting the cheating case, Reformers will not hesitate to report their friend to the teacher with minimal consideration, and feel that it is the perfectly right thing to do.  

As the name implies, Reformers always strive for perfection in everything they do. They find satisfaction in perfection, even when such endeavours take a serious toll on their health, time and friendships. In their world, there are no flaws, and no mistakes. And they are definitely no rooms for error.

These characteristics make Reformers very meticulous individuals, thus making them suitable for certain professions, as follows:

• Detective
• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI)
• Disciplinarian
• Lawyer
• Judge
• Military profession

It can thus be observed that each talent has their own strengths and weaknesses.   But this is to be expected. And this is also the reason why team work (consisting of different personalities and hence talents) are often preferred over the solitary contribution of an individual (regardless of his or her ability).

Dear class, 

We are all talents in this world. Nobody is less than that.

Knowing this is important. But what’s more important is that we are able to identify our talents and realise our true potential. There are many of us who live our entire lives without fully utilising our talents. I hope that you will be one of them who will realise your talents. Hence, I have started this “Talent” series to help you explore the talents that you have.

There are many ways to identify talents. The fact that we tend to excel in the things that we love to do has shown the possibility of identifying talents through our interests.  We are also able to identify our talents in something that we do best as well. However, for this “Talents” series, I have chosen to look at the various types of talents through our personalities as I feel that our personalities – albeit some minor changes due to our life experiences – usually stay the same over a lifetime. More importantly, our personalities usually give a more accurate gauge of the career options that we are able to explore. Many research tests in recent years that are personality-based seem to reinforce this perception. Do note that the term “The Nurturer” as used in this article is different from what is reflected on the materials you may find online. This is because I am defining this term based on the experiences of my interactions with such talents. The same can be said of the subsequent talents that I will be writing on.   

So, let’s begin with the first type of talent, known by many as “The Nurturer“.

Individuals who are considered as Nurturers are often overlooked by many in society, precisely because they often do not take up prominent positions such as a company’s CEO or even members of senior management in the corporate workplace.  The primary focus of the Nurturers in their lifetime is not in creating a vision for companies but rather, developing a vision for individuals and to develop the fullest potential of every single individual under their care.  And these may include mentees, students, a fellow colleagues or even their loved one.

They have a knack of identifying other’s strength and encouraging them to further develop them. And they usually have the ability to do this to such an extent that others are able to carve out a career path that are meant for them over a lifetime. It is therefore not surprising that people often gave great thanks to the Nurturer for helping them identify the paths in their lives that they are taking.  Hence, gratitude is often given to the Nurturers, who often accept them in humility.  To the Nurturers, to help is not a favour or an obligation. It is a calling.

However, the Nurturer’s greatest strength is also their greatest weakness. I believe this speaks true of all if not most personalities. The Nurturer’s tendency to be caring is sometimes taken advantage of. It has often been said that Nurturers may be among the individuals who are often bullied. From personal experiences, I beg to differ. In most instances that I came across, Nurturers are often respected instead. Personally, I feel that deep down in the hearts of all of us, we respect individuals who care about us, who notice us and who give us a helping hand. And in return – be it in a conscious or subconscious manner - we have a tendency to want to return the kindness rendered. And this should always be the case. As the saying goes: kindness begets kindness.

While most of us recognise talents that is aligned and in tune with our own, Nurturers are usually able to identify talents in others that are different from their own. This is what makes the Nurturers so powerful and charismatic as it has often been said that a person is powerful not because of his or her strengths and abilities but rather,  it’s his or her ability to appreciate talents while employing and nurturing them in the endeavours where they can be at their best.  Such is the charismatic prowess of a Nurturer.

The nurturers often have the unique ability to blend into any environment.  It’s this precise skill that enables Nurturers to be skilled mediators when it comes to conflict resolution as they are able to get on good terms with the various personality types. An aura of amicability seems to revolve around nurturers and people find them to be pleasant and caring. Nurturers are also often among the first few individuals that come to someone’s mind should they require any form of assistance, assurance or advice.

Nurturers are the gems in this world. They provide the light at the end of the tunnel. Or rather, they are the light at the end of the tunnel. They enable us to reach an equilibrium when it comes to our emotional level.  Some of us have even associate the Nurturers with the term “Births” and “Rebirths”, for the Nurturers have the unique ability of seeing the talents in any individual and making them shine in life.

So, are you a Nurturer?

If so, the following are some career paths that you might like to consider:

•  Teacher (at all levels)
•  Counsellor
•  Social Worker
•  Career Coach
•  Career Consultant
•  Writer (of relevant genres and publications)

Dear class,

In the coming months, I am going to start a series of articles on the types of personalities that we possess. While each of our personalities has its pros and cons, it cannot be denied that our personalities define our talents. Through our personalities, we are able to identify our strengths and through our strengths, we will find our talents.

I am hoping that through this deeper understanding of our talents, we will be able to see the potential in ourselves,  as well as releasing this potential to be our best by excelling in life.  I will also explore the possible career options for the various personality types. So, stay tuned.

I will be starting this series of articles soon, beginning with The Nurturer. So, do back often for updates.