Talent distinguishes and directs us! It can manifest itself in various ways: an artistic ability, an analytical mind, a gift for communication, rigour in detail, the ability to lead or simply the talent to know how to care. Discovering this talent is an act of self-knowledge and courage and is the basis for understanding our role in the team we work for, our family and the world in general.

Talent is often closely linked to what we like to do. If you ask a young child, "What's your talent?", they'll probably answer with something they love doing. This pleasure is a fundamental indicator of true talent. What we do with ease and joy can be the key to discovering our own talent.

Perhaps my talent is linked to my ability to get excited about other people's talents and to help them maximise their own abilities. People move me, their steps, their ability to do more and better on so many fronts. I get excited about promoting the potential of others and challenging them to go further.

To lead is to help everyone discover and develop their talent. I take genuine joy in the achievements of the team I lead, in the way they overcome challenges and surpass themselves. That's the source of my own talent. The resilience and focus I see in the creative process of those around me reminds me of Picasso who said "...inspiration, when it comes, finds me working".

I believe that the true role of leadership lies in developing others beyond the competences they know they have, helping them to discover their own talent and with that, who knows, discover their legacy with a multiplying impact on the world.

Maria Cabral de Sousa
CEO, Softway