This exercise is designed to help you to gather information and feedback on your strengths, gifts, and talents from trusted people in order to help you to grow. Follow these four simple steps to become more aware and active in your talents.  

Step 1. Identify 3-5 people to consult

Who could you approach for caring, honest, and accurate feedback about you and your strengths, gifts, and talents?  Write their names down.

Step 2. Prepare and send an email to each person

• Create personalized emails for each person.
• Below is a sample text that you can adapt and send.
• Once you have personalized the text, send the emails.
• Schedule a time in your calendar, about 10 days from the day you send the initial requests, to Review and Reflect on the results. 
• As you receive responses, thank them. 
• About three days before your scheduled Review, check to see if anyone has not yet responded. Send a reminder request if they haven’t.
• Undertake the next step: Review and Reflect on Results.

SAMPLE EMAIL TEXT

Hello {name}:

I am participating in a course to grow as a leader. In one of the sessions, we focused on developing your leadership by understanding your talents. Every person has talents – unique gifts and strengths – that can be harnessed for service and the good of others. The challenge is to become more aware of these talents in order to activate and further develop them.

To become more aware of my talents, I would appreciate your feedback. I value your opinion and recognize that you may be able to help me to better see my talents, strengths, and gifts. Would you be willing to take a few moments to honestly and reflectively answer these questions?

These answers will only be seen by me. If you aren’t sure of an answer to any question, please respond “unsure”. I appreciate your help and if I have any clarifying questions, I will be in touch with you.

1. What do you think are some of my strengths and abilities? Can you share some examples?
2. If you were looking to enlist my help with something important (could be personal or professional), what would that be? What would you want me to do?
3. What are some of the ways that I most effectively contribute in a family, group, or team setting? 
4. What areas do you see that I am skillful in? (Name as many as come to mind – personal, professional, interpersonal, etc.)
5. Are there any hidden talents or gifts that you think I have great potential in? Why do you think this?
6. Any additional comments? 

Thank you.
{Your name}

Step 3. Review and Reflect on Results:

Reread all the responses you received. Feel free to highlight or underline aspects that stand out in each. Reflecting on all the responses, write your answers to the following questions:

• Are there any responses that you need further clarification on?
• What was the most common response among the respondents?
• What did they see in you that you already recognize?
• What was surprising to you?
• With this feedback and your own reflection, what are your greatest talents and strengths?
  

Step 4. Activate Your Talents

The two keys for developing your leadership by understanding your talents are Awareness and Activation. Commit to undertaking the following two actions:

• Continue to consider the feedback you have received and consider how you can get more feedback in your life.
• Focus on your strengths – amplify them, invest in growing them, put them to use in service and leadership.

What can you do this week to activate one of your talents?