In my experience as an executive recruiter, it is paramount to understand these differences among knowledge, skills and experience when we speak about talent.

Everybody longs to take the tiniest bit of information—a bone shard or the small spot of blood—and discover the whole story behind it. We want to be seen as knowledgeable.

Skill is an ability that comes from practice, something you can learn like computer coding or gardening. The key difference between them is that talent is God-given, and skill is learned.

To provide the right growth support to leaders, HR teams must determine whether professional coaching or precision skills development is more appropriate.

Comparison between skill and talent This chart overviews the key differences between skill and talent, including their definitions, how they’re developed, and examples.