Hidden Potential Review
The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant
Summary
Adam Grant has created a must-read for all those looking to help others develop their potential. He challenges conventional wisdom on how people build superstar performers. Those with strong character skills will outperform those with innate talent over the long term. He walks readers through unconventional ways to look for that hidden potential. One can build more successful teams by including those normally passed over by early advantages. The book takes you through how to build character skills through getting uncomfortable by setting up scaffolding to overcome obstacles. He shows how the real world is better shaped by getting out of people's comfort zones through rich examples.
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
- Helen Keller
Chapter Breakdown
Skills of Character
Get comfortable being uncomfortable to grow. The most learning occurs when people can overcome that awkward feeling of not knowing something. “Put yourself in the ring before you feel ready”-Grant
Grant gives examples of rabid language learners practicing speech with native speakers before they felt competent. By breaking through that barrier, those awkward exchanges stuck with them and helped the knowledge stick for a lifetime. The people he discusses learned 4-6 languages later in life by challenging themselves to be uncomfortable.
Be a sponge in trying to absorb growth opportunities. To improve, seek small groups of trusted sources of advice. Make sure they are not just cheerleaders or critics. Find people who want to make you better by giving tough coaching. They need to be credible, honest, and care about you as a human.
“Strive for excellence, not perfection”-Grant. In practice, accept that you will never be perfect. Set standards for yourself, working towards excellence while embracing your flaws. Measure improvements based on how far you have come instead of judging yourself off on a perfect image that cannot functionally exist.
Structures for Motivation
Deliberate play has been shown to be much more effective than other types of practice. Turning training into a game increases growth and helps people enjoy doing monotonous tasks. Gamification can help teams find joy in processes they avoid.
Grant gave the example that Steph Curry’s game went to the highest level when he turned dribbling, ball handling, and speed drills into a new challenge every time. When planning your practice towards excellence, vary your schedule and include rest. Recovery time is crucial and often leads to new innovations.
When progress has stalled, and people feel stuck, get creative to get out of it. Find new mentors with different perspectives who can help to show you a different approach. It can shake you out of your rut when you try hobbies or a project that pushes you to different skill sets. Rack up small wins outside your main focus to cascade wins in your life before returning to the main task.
Build confidence by teaching and coaching others. Teaching others how to do something deepens our understanding. When someone struggles with a concept, trying to figure out how to teach others can help them grasp it. This also goes for coaching through difficult circumstances. By giving advice to others, we can help ourselves work through hard times.
Remember what you’re fighting for. He gives the example of the first African American Naval Officers and how they taught each other the concepts they needed to pass training school. They excelled over their white counterparts by reinforcing the importance of their mission. They reminded each other of their place in history to motivate each other not to give up on the goal.
Systems of Opportunity
Recognize that there are many ways to be intelligent and don’t flock to one or two specific types. Celebrate and grow your people's varying skills by making teaching professional. Give people the freedom to express their passions to grow.
Unleash your group intelligence. Choose leaders based on their emotional intelligence, not just on who likes to talk the most. Don’t get caught choosing high performers to manage. Figure out ways to evaluate prosocial skills to promote the best people to lead.
Promote the best ideas by switching from Brainstorming to Brainwriting. Meetings with brainstorming often tamp down innovation. Let workers spend time alone to come up with ideas and then bring them together, letting everyone pitch. Make sure your organization has a system that doesn’t allow one person to be the gatekeeper on whose ideas move up. Create pathways for everyone to push innovations out.
Redefine ideal candidates for roles on your team. Look past flashy resume names to look for people's journey of growth when hiring. Find indicators of someone on the rise rather than letting old stats cross them off the list. Change interview processes to let people shine and show you their expertise.
Grant gives the example of a company that hires people with a wide range of disabilities to be high performers in a call center. They give people tours before the interview and scenarios that reduce stress but allow them to show off their problem-solving skills.
Three Big Lessons
Be open to uncomfortable change and seek advice from trusted coaches.
Set the right scaffolding around you to make getting better more rewarding.
Unleash your team's potential by promoting individuals' ideas regardless of status.
Brad’s Review
Hidden Potential is one of my favorite books on helping people better themselves. I already have lessons I want to implement in my coaching. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to maximize the potential of people on their team.
