I’ve been reading…
We know talent when we see it.
Albert Einstein – Physicist
Charles Darwin – Naturalist
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates – CEOs
Bobby Fischer – Chess Master
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Composer
Michael Phelps – Swimmer
Tiger Woods – Golfer
We attribute their success to some innate ability that sets them apart from regular people. They are special – born with something more. But is it really a talent born within each of them? Or is it something else?
In his book Talent is Overrated, Geoff Colvin explains that talent doesn’t actually exist – at least not in the way we think. And he trots out a mountain of research to support his argument.
So, if talent doesn’t exist, what explains the amazing achievements of some people? One answer has been the 10,000 hour rule – the number of hours that we must put into an activity in order to master it.
However just putting in time and acquiring experience is not enough, according to Colvin. He tells us that extensive research has shown that in a wide range of fields, we often fail to improve – no matter how many years we spend. We are frequently no better than when we first started and occasionally, we actually get worse.
Then how are those at the top of their fields able to achieve such greatness? What is special about what they do?
The author tells us that it isn’t just experience that leads to greater achievement. What is needed is deliberate practice.
It is activity specifically designed to improve performance, often with a teacher’s help; it can be repeated a lot; feedback on results is continuously available; it’s highly demanding mentally, whether the activity is purely intellectual, such as chess or business-related activities, or heavily physical, such as sports; and it isn’t much fun.
So great performance doesn’t come from talent but from hard work targeted to gaining superior results. The 10,000 hour rule still holds but it is 10,000 hours of dedicated, designed practice with the help of a coach or teacher.
Geoff Colvin skillfully ties this idea of dedicated learning to business practice and innovation. It is a fascinating read – one that changed the way I think about talent and about learning. I highly recommend it to anyone hoping to rise to the top of their field.
We believe in you. Gung Ho Friends!