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Don't Waste Your Talent: The 8 Critical Steps To Discovering What You Do Best
Revised Third Edition- Study after study reaches the same conclusion - in America today, it's not who you are but what you are. More and more CEO's are graduating from public universities instead of the Ivy League. But how do you know what you are? How do you know the talents you have? How do you determine what job or profession is right for you? Now, there's a book that gives you all the answers. Newly revised by Lazar Emanuel, lawyer and former CEO of the Highlands Co., a national performance improvement training company based in New York, and Tom Tavantzis,Ed.D., Director of Organizational Psychology Studies at St. Joseph's University, this seminal work tells you how to discover your hard-wired talents and move towards your ultimate goal - contentment, fulfillment and increased productivity. Every one of us is born with the ability to be great at something. The secret lies in identifying that ability and using it. McDonald and Hutcheson asked hundreds of successful what made you successful? Everyone's story was different, but one answer was the same for all - all successful people create and are guided by a clear personal vision - an accurate and precise picture of the work that expresses their talents best. This remarkable book holds the key to success - identify your natural talents and work where you can use them. Long-term research shows that when people focus on their natural abilities and follow a strategic plan based on a strong personal vision, they experience the profound and lasting benefits of reduced stress, more overall balance, decreased burnout and greater satisfaction. Don't Waste Your Talent provides the link to your niche in life. It opens doors to a more productive career and to the satisfaction of knowing that you're using your talents to the fullest. The Highlands Company offers assessments and seminars to help students and adults make strategic education and career decisions.
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
29 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 23, 2016
This book has some great lessons that challenge our assumptions about work (ie. Check out the “lemming conspiracy”). It also provides many tools and ideas on how to find a career where you will succeed and find meaning.
One of the main lessons that you get from reading this book is that preparing for and finding a career where you will thrive takes work. Lots of work.
Many of the career coaching clients I work with prefer to do this work with a professional, rather than though a book and self-driven exercises. This makes sense on several levels. Given this, it’s important to acknowledge how much one can expect to get from this book, especially if the reader is not willing to take the time to complete all the recommended exercises.
I went through the certification process to use the Highlands Ability Battery recommend in the book. I found that it is a useful tool that provides unique insights on abilities that are hard to get elsewhere.
If I had to improve this book, I would: 1) make it shorter by removing some of the examples provided; 2) edit some parts on women’s careers that were not worded appropriately and 3) add some design elements to make it more visually appealing.
One of the main lessons that you get from reading this book is that preparing for and finding a career where you will thrive takes work. Lots of work.
Many of the career coaching clients I work with prefer to do this work with a professional, rather than though a book and self-driven exercises. This makes sense on several levels. Given this, it’s important to acknowledge how much one can expect to get from this book, especially if the reader is not willing to take the time to complete all the recommended exercises.
I went through the certification process to use the Highlands Ability Battery recommend in the book. I found that it is a useful tool that provides unique insights on abilities that are hard to get elsewhere.
If I had to improve this book, I would: 1) make it shorter by removing some of the examples provided; 2) edit some parts on women’s careers that were not worded appropriately and 3) add some design elements to make it more visually appealing.
February 21, 2025
I love a good self discovery book! This one came at a pivotal time in my career and really helped me understand and identify my talents. It also helped me learn how to appreciate what I am good at and accept the role I had fallen into professionally as something that I actually excelled at.
February 6, 2008
A sure road to success involves two things: find out, once and for all, just what you are really good at, then find the right fit between you and your job. That’s what this book is all about.
Few people think like this because of what the authors call The Lemming Conspiracy. People are supposed to work 60 or 70 hour weeks in some office building, because their worth as a human being is defined by their job title, and the number of zero’s in their bank account. Anyone who is not on the "fast track," thinking of little beyond that next promotion, must be morally deficient. Liking your job, or feeling fulfilled, or having time for your family, is irrelevant; work is supposed to come first. Sound familiar?
Most books of this type look at just one or two areas, like interests, or goals, or hardwired abilities, to decide what is the "right" sort of job for an individual. This book explores eight different areas, with thought exercises throughout, so the reader can be pointed in the right direction.
Does the answer to a problem suddenly pop into your head, or are you more of a methodical, step-by-step type? Can you handle people coming to you with problems or questions on a non-stop basis, all day? Introvert or extrovert? Specialist or generalist? What is most important to you; family, health, excitement, spiritual fulfillment, etc? How much time per day do you spend doing what’s most important to you? What sort of family did you grow up in? What sort of personal boundaries would you like to set up regarding your job (no more late nights, no more weekends, etc.)? What is your boss likely to accept?
Many books are available attempting to help the reader find the sort of occupation that is best for them. This one belongs at, or near, the top of the list. It will get the reader looking at themselves in a whole new way.
Few people think like this because of what the authors call The Lemming Conspiracy. People are supposed to work 60 or 70 hour weeks in some office building, because their worth as a human being is defined by their job title, and the number of zero’s in their bank account. Anyone who is not on the "fast track," thinking of little beyond that next promotion, must be morally deficient. Liking your job, or feeling fulfilled, or having time for your family, is irrelevant; work is supposed to come first. Sound familiar?
Most books of this type look at just one or two areas, like interests, or goals, or hardwired abilities, to decide what is the "right" sort of job for an individual. This book explores eight different areas, with thought exercises throughout, so the reader can be pointed in the right direction.
Does the answer to a problem suddenly pop into your head, or are you more of a methodical, step-by-step type? Can you handle people coming to you with problems or questions on a non-stop basis, all day? Introvert or extrovert? Specialist or generalist? What is most important to you; family, health, excitement, spiritual fulfillment, etc? How much time per day do you spend doing what’s most important to you? What sort of family did you grow up in? What sort of personal boundaries would you like to set up regarding your job (no more late nights, no more weekends, etc.)? What is your boss likely to accept?
Many books are available attempting to help the reader find the sort of occupation that is best for them. This one belongs at, or near, the top of the list. It will get the reader looking at themselves in a whole new way.
August 16, 2024
Helpful guidance despite copy editing issues
I’m navigating my own career transition and found this to be a helpful resource, particularly the chapter about “surveying”—a series of interviews to help test and refine ideas of what that next job will be.
In the midst of this great content, however, lurks serious copy editing issues (Kindle version, 2005). Although later editions are available for other formats, I’d encourage The Highlands Company to do the same for their e-book!
I’m navigating my own career transition and found this to be a helpful resource, particularly the chapter about “surveying”—a series of interviews to help test and refine ideas of what that next job will be.
In the midst of this great content, however, lurks serious copy editing issues (Kindle version, 2005). Although later editions are available for other formats, I’d encourage The Highlands Company to do the same for their e-book!
August 9, 2016
Good guide to creating a personal vision statement.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews