Hidden Potential is a book written by Adam Grant. He’s a well-known author who writes about how people can do amazing things. The main idea of the book is this: You don’t have to be a genius or a superstar to do great things. Everyone has the ability to achieve greatness. This book shows us how. So, whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who wants to do more, this book has something for you. It tells us that we all have hidden potential, and we can bring it out with the right approach.
“The most promising ideas begin from novelty and then add familiarity.”
Adam Grant
In this blog post we will go over these topics:
- The Three-Part Framework
- Character Skills
- Sustaining Motivation
- Designing Opportunity Systems
- Key Takeaways and Encouragement
The Three-Part Framework
Hidden Potential gives us a three-step plan to do great things. These steps are like a map that guides us to our hidden potential.
- Developing Character Skills: This is about building good habits and qualities. It’s not just about being smart or talented. It’s about being persistent, curious, and brave. These are the skills that help us grow and improve.
- Sustaining Long-Term Motivation: This is about keeping our energy up. It’s easy to start something new, but it’s hard to stick with it. This book gives us tips on how to stay motivated and keep going, even when things get tough.
- Designing Opportunity Systems: This is about creating chances for success. It’s about setting up the right conditions and systems that help us reach our goals. This could be things like a good work environment, supportive friends, or helpful tools.
So, that’s the three-part framework. It’s a practical guide that can help us unlock our hidden potential and achieve great things.
Character Skills
Character skills are very important. They are different from personality traits. Personality traits are things like being outgoing or quiet, and they are usually something you’re born with. But character skills are things you can learn and improve, like being brave or hardworking.
In the book Hidden Potential, there are some practical tips on how to develop these skills. One of them is to start before you feel ready. This means you don’t have to wait until you’re perfect to start doing something. You can start now, learn as you go, and get better over time. This is a great way to grow and unlock your hidden potential.
The book is filled with stories that illustrate the importance of character skills. One such story is about the “Raging Rooks”, a group of young chess players from a public school in Harlem.
In 1991, the Raging Rooks participated in the US National Junior High Chess Championships in Detroit. They were up against the elite team from Dalton, a private school in New York, which had won three titles in a row. The Raging Rooks were considered underdogs, practicing in parks where drug dealers did their business.
After a strong start, their confidence crumbled and they fell to fifth place. However, they didn’t give up. They rallied around their coach, Maurice Ashley, and their captain, Kasaun Henry, managed to beat Dalton’s best player. Against all odds, the Raging Rooks took the title!
This story perfectly illustrates the concept of starting before you feel ready. The Raging Rooks didn’t wait until they had perfect conditions for practice or until they felt fully prepared. They started where they were, learned as they went, and got better over time. Their character skills, such as bravery and hard work, were key to their success.
So, just like the Raging Rooks, don’t wait. Start now, and see how far you can go!
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Arthur Ashe
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Sustaining Motivation
Keeping your motivation up is like building a scaffold. A scaffold is a temporary structure used when constructing a building. It helps you reach higher and keeps you safe. In the same way, you can build a ‘scaffold’ to keep your motivation high.
One way to do this is through ‘deliberate play’. This means making your work or learning fun. When you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re more likely to keep doing it. So, try to find ways to make your tasks enjoyable.
Another tip from the book is to teach others. When you teach someone else, you understand the topic better yourself. Plus, it feels good to help others learn. This can also keep your motivation high.
In his book Hidden Potential, Adam Grant shares a story about his own experience that beautifully illustrates the concept of sustaining motivation.
As a student, Grant was initially recommended for remedial writing at Harvard. He remembers thinking at the time, “Forget imposter syndrome; I was an actual fraud,”. Despite this hit to his self-esteem, Grant pushed on and ended up with the only ‘A’ in writing class. This story is a perfect example of building a ‘scaffold’ to keep motivation high.
Grant’s experience also highlights the use of ‘deliberate play’. He didn’t let the initial setback deter him. Instead, he found joy in the process of learning and improving his writing skills, which made the task enjoyable and helped him sustain his motivation.
Lastly, by sharing his experiences and teachings through his books, Grant is teaching others, which not only deepens his understanding of the topics but also keeps his motivation high.
“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.”
Napoleon Hill
So, just like Adam Grant, build your ‘scaffold’, make your tasks fun, and teach others. These are indeed great ways to keep your motivation up and reach your hidden potential.
Designing Opportunity Systems
Opportunity systems are like paths that lead us to our goals. They are very important because they help us reach our hidden potential.
One way to design good opportunity systems is to think about your ‘grade-point trajectory’. This means setting small, achievable goals that lead to your big goal. It’s like climbing a ladder one step at a time. Each step gets you closer to the top.
Another way is to use ‘lattice’ organizational structures. This means creating a network of opportunities, not just a straight line. It’s like climbing a jungle gym, where you can move up, down, left, or right. This gives you more ways to reach your goal.
Adam Grant shares the story of NBA star Steph Curry’s trainer. To help Curry improve his skills, the trainer didn’t just have him practice the same shots over and over again. Instead, he created a variety of little made-up games, like one called “Twenty-One”, where Curry gets one minute to score 21 points and has to sprint to mid-court after each shot. This approach made practice more novel and varied, which is an example of designing a good opportunity system.
This story also highlights the concept of ‘grade-point trajectory’. Each game was a small, achievable goal that led to the big goal of improving Curry’s overall performance. It’s like climbing a ladder one step at a time, where each step gets you closer to the top.
Set small goals, create a network of opportunities, and you’ll be on your way to unlocking your hidden potential.
“I’ve never been afraid of big moments. I get butterflies. I get nervous and anxious, but I think those are all good signs that I’m ready for the moment.”
Stephen Curry
Key Takeaways and Encouragement
“Hidden Potential” is a book that tells us we all can do great things. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. What matters is your character skills, your motivation, and the opportunities you create.
The book gives us a three-step plan to unlock our potential. First, we need to build good habits and qualities. Second, we need to keep our energy up and stay motivated. And third, we need to create paths that lead us to our goals.
But the most important thing is to start. Start before you feel ready. Start now, and learn as you go. And remember, it’s okay to ask for help and learn from others.
So, to everyone reading this, I encourage you to apply these principles in your own life. You have hidden potential. And with the right approach, you can unlock it and do great things. So, don’t wait. Start now, and see how far you can go!
“Conformity is dangerous.”
Adam Grant