Talent is an important resource because it provides opportunities for different kinds of interventions as well as for efficiently utilizing resources, which promotes growth. Activist Annie Campbell emphasizes the importance of leveraging different kinds of talent in order to promote and scale up the gender justice and feminist movements in Northern Ireland. She suggests that everyone has something they can contribute to society and should not be limited by their gender, class or age. Contributions can be of all different types and at different levels, as well. As she notes, many young people today are involved in civil society work, even if it is, as she says, ‘under the radar’:

I do see a lot of young people, not the majority but quite a lot of them who are, you know, really doing what I would have done in my twenties or thirties……getting on with creating the world you want despite who's in power…--and they are terribly bright -…. they're kind of under the radar, but they're there…

In contrast, she laments that in Northern Ireland’s current context, there is a lack of space for socio-political engagement that is not along party lines. Among the older generation, Annie notes, “Many of my friends who are well-gifted, talented and well able to run this country are not, there is no political space for them, and they're just getting on with their personal lives.” 

The contrast Annie Campbell highlights speaks to the importance of every person engaging in the ways they can. This is further illustrated by the group “One Small Step” in Northern Ireland, as described by civil society leader Tony Kennedy. Kennedy notes, “The idea behind one small step is to say we can all contribute to change, we can do it for ourselves. We don't have to do it big, we can do small things.”  He also states that change is “everybody’s responsibility,” emphasizing that the small steps taken by individuals reflect different kinds of contributions that help create change in a variety of ways.

A Black Lives Matter activist in the Southeastern United States shares specific ways through which diverse talents can be used. She notes that the local organization is made up of 11 sub-committees, each of which deals with different issues: legal help, education, community development, entertainment, social media, and so on. Multiple kinds of talent are needed in order to staff these sub-committees and ensure their work is effective, particularly given the grassroots nature of the work and lack of funding for hiring paid staff. As this activist says, “It’s a job, and it’s not a job that anyone gets paid for, it’s something that people are passionate about, social change.

Drawing on divergent talents of individuals is important for creating a more diverse organization, both in terms of the kinds of things that an organization can do, and in terms of the identities of the members. This sets an important foundation for being able to scale an organization’s work. 

Challenges you may encounter using this tool

• Community-based organizations may find it more challenging to diversify because their numbers are limited.

• A diverse talent pool takes a particular type of accepting and coach-like leadership style to manage and cultivate. This leadership skill-set may be challenging to develop and even more challenging to replace with leadership turnover.Challenges you may encounter using this tool

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• Community-based organizations may find it more challenging to diversify because their numbers are limited.

• A diverse talent pool takes a particular type of accepting and coach-like leadership style to manage and cultivate. This leadership skill-set may be challenging to develop and even more challenging to replace with leadership turnover.

• Challenges you may encounter using this tool

• 
  

• Community-based organizations may find it more challenging to diversify because their numbers are limited.

• A diverse talent pool takes a particular type of accepting and coach-like leadership style to manage and cultivate. This leadership skill-set may be challenging to develop and even more challenging to replace with leadership turnover.

•