Elements of Talent Development Across Domains

The purpose of this review was to analyze models of talent development and case summaries of elite performers for common talent development elements across domains. The Wheel of Excellence (Orlick, 2000) and the Pyramid of Success (Wooden & Jamison, 1997) are two well-known models that were selected for analysis. Across the two models and the 25 case summaries, eight common talent development elements were found: (a) commitment, (b) confidence, (c) desire, (d) focused connection, (e) genetics, (f) ongoing learning, (g) opportunity, and (h) support systems. Each element is best viewed as a composite of several related concepts that are often described in the literature. A description of each element, its related concepts, and a supporting example from one of the case summaries, is provided. Based on the present review, no single model of talent development appears to capture the complete range of internal and external elements required to fully develop talent.