“Be great at the things that require no talent.”
I mean, what excuse is there?
“Be great at the things that require no talent.”
I use this phrase often with my team, maybe even too often. And yet, I keep coming back to these words because they’ve shaped the way I work and lead.
There are things in our control, no matter our title or role. Spelling something correctly, formatting a document cleanly, being on time, following through. None of these tasks require immense talent, but doing them consistently builds something far more valuable: credibility.
But when small things start slipping (spelling, formatting, consistency), it adds up. Credibility erodes. And teams start to lose momentum without realizing why.
After all, if you can’t get the small details right, how can you be trusted with the big, important goals?
When I remind my team to “be great at the things that require no talent,” I’m not being pedantic. I’m reminding us all that quality is a choice.
It’s one of the few things we can always control, and over time, it speaks louder than talent alone ever could.