Siouxland Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 1

Once You Find It, Do Not Lose It!
By Peggy Smith
I could be talking about your car keys, or the
password for your internet banking account,
or in my case, my cell phone (which I lose/
misplace at least five times a day!), but I am
not. I am talking about something I hope you have
found already and kept…passion!
contagious enthusiasm. Passion is one thing this year we
DO want to catch!
I wish you a 2021 that brings you joy, that allows you to
turn your talents into strengths, and to use those strengths
in a way that creates a positive difference.
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Passion is the fire that keeps us going, the strong
driver that makes us work longer and harder to
accomplish something, the topic that we can talk
about with enthusiasm and persuasion.
As a Gallup Strength Finder certified trainer, I have
helped many people discover their inherent “talents”
and how to turn them into strengths. It is amazing to
me that once someone learns about their talents,
and the descriptions of each, the lightbulb goes on
as they now understand themselves better and WHY
they are passionate about certain things. “Learners”
are passionate about learning; “Achievers” are
passionate about getting things done – checking
off their “to do” list; “Ideation” means you are
passionate about ideas, context, connections. Once
you understand yourself, you can focus your talents
to use them in positive ways to make a difference in
the area you are passionate about.
The Gallup Strength Finder is a wonderful tool to
help you develop as a leader in your career and in
your community. Understanding how our talents
can hold us back or propel us forward can be the
difference between success and failure. I encourage
you to reach out if you are interested in taking an
assessment to find out your top talents.
Peggy Smith, Executive Director for Leadership Siouxland.
Leadership Siouxland is an organization dedicated
to developing diverse, informed leaders who shape
our community for today and tomorrow.
More wow MoMents
As we look around the world as we know it today,
there is so much need that the opportunities to
use our talents productively seem unending. In the
spring, when we were reeling from the beginnings
of the pandemic and everything seemed unknown,
uncertain, and frightening, I found myself spinning
in circles verses focusing on a single area in which
I could make a difference. Sometimes we lose our
passion when we feel overwhelmed, and we feel
useless and ineffective. That’s when we need to
surround ourselves with others that can invigorate
us, get us excited over possibilities and keep us
moving forward.
Another challenge with passion is keeping it real –
not letting passion cause us to ignore the facts, or
glide over the details. I love seeing leaders who
have learned how to manage reality yet still exhibit
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