Talent vs. Skill: Which Matters Most?

Both attributes are ultimately granted to us by God. Perhaps the most important thing to recognize is where one’s unique talent lies and where hard work will need to make up the difference.

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As long as there has been a world of tech ministry, there has been an ongoing conversation about whether talent or skill matters more in leaders and operators. Sometimes the conversation is more of a recreational way to connect with fellow tech artists, but other times it can escalate into a fierce debate with actual jobs and careers hanging in the balance. One’s estimation of the value of talent vs. the value of skill also directly impacts the way leaders recruit and develop ministry volunteers and interns.

One’s estimation of the value of talent vs. the value of skill also directly impacts the way leaders recruit and develop ministry volunteers and interns.

By definition

Simply stated, talent is a natural aptitude a person has in a specific area or discipline. It’s a gift that you’re more or less born with. On the flip side of the coin, skill is the ability to do something well. It’s something you develop. While the end results of talent and skill may look alike to an outside observer, the ongoing debate usually centers around which of the two is more essential to long-term success or failure in tech arts leadership.  

Talent is, by definition, something you either have or you don’t. When someone can discern subtle nuances of an audio mix we say that they have a “good ear.” In the same way, if a person can recognize and articulate what makes a great camera shot we say they have a “good eye.” It’s the x-factor that allows some people to naturally just “get it.”

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10 ESV

In the creative world, it might be better to think about talent as something closer to taste. A person with “good taste” can tell when something is working creatively and when it isn’t. But without hard work, taste has very limited real world value. Having a good ear doesn’t mean you’re a great audio engineer, and having a good eye does not make someone a cinematographer. Having talent or good taste without the skill to make use of that ability is almost pointless.

Having a good ear doesn’t mean you’re a great audio engineer, and having a good eye does not make someone a cinematographer.

Skill, on the other hand, is something you earn as a result of hard work and discipline. Developing a skill takes study, sacrifice, dedication and a healthy dose of humility. We are hardwired to respond to skill because it indicates a degree of character on the part of the artist. It also resonates with our internal sense of justice and balance.

The problem with skill is the immutable fact that all the hard work and dedication in the world will not compensate for a lack of natural talent. Study, dedication and repetition will take someone only so far if they lack the natural taste to discern between great and good. If great projects are 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, you’re still stuck needing the 10% part of the equation.

Finding meaning

So does that mean that someone without a specific natural talent has limited value in tech arts ministry? Hardly. The reality is that the vast majority of tech directors are generalists who oversee a wide variety of talents and skills to do their job day in and day out. No one reasonably expects a tech director to be a master of sound, lighting design, broadcast, cinematography, stage design and live streaming all at the same time. Most tech directors have a natural talent in one or two of these areas and supplement the other areas with skills they’ve worked hard to develop.

Often tech directors discover talents they didn’t even realize they had when they turn their focus toward these essential areas.

More importantly, there are many such leaders whose true talents lie in the areas of leadership, pastoral care, ministry discipleship or administration. These abilities are immensely important, even if they don’t receive the attention they deserve. Often tech directors discover talents they didn’t even realize they had when they turn their focus toward these essential areas.

The important thing to recognize is where one’s unique talent lies and where hard work will need to make up the difference. Once a leader has identified their areas of strength they’ll be far more confident to look for people with talents in those other areas to help build a stronger ministry. Tech is, by its very nature, behind the scenes – almost no one will know or care how the quality work gets done as long as it gets done.  

Try staying focused on your character, on who you are when your leadership is not looking.

Character is defined as the moral quality distinctive to an individual and, when all is said and done, it trumps everything else. While it’s important to have a firm grasp of the value of both natural talent and earned skills, character is what builds strong and effective tech ministries. Try staying focused on your character, on who you are when your leadership is not looking. Focus on the work, on what needs to be done this week and this month. Most of all, focus on the people, on the relationships that yield eternal return on investment.