Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

by Adam M. Grant

I realized I’d given him a work sample.

My success wouldn’t depend on my initial ability. It would depend on my ability and motivation to learn.

they hadn’t declared me a failure as a writer. They’d failed a tiny snapshot of my writing.

determined to go from failing the test to a...

Impostor syndrome says, “I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s only a matter of time until everyone finds out.”

Growth mindset says, “I don’t know what I’m doing yet. It’s only a matter of time until I figure it out.”

Scaffolding gives you the support you need to...

the power of character skills was a critical bit of scaffolding. It became my compass, and it guided my progress for years afterward.

book by a psychologist, Robert Cialdini.

I had to figure out how to teach. Even after I got my anxiety under control,

started introducing surprise endings with counterintuitive studies and unexpected twists in experiential learning.

I felt a responsibility to share what I was learning beyond the classroom and academic journals—with an audience broader than students and researchers.

The worst kind of success is achieving other people’s goals. Don’t live someone else’s dream.

literary agent, Richard Pine,

it was boring. In other words: not a page-turner.

Impostor syndrome came back with a vengeance. Who was I to write a book? Why would anyone want to read what I had to say?

Just write like you teach, not like you write for academic journals.”

Writing like I teach has been my compass ever since. It’s what guided me to write books that you were actually interested in reading. Well,

impostor syndrome is a paradox: Others believe in you You don’t believe in yourself Yet you believe yourself instead of them

The most meaningful growth is not building our careers—it’s building our character.

Success is more than reaching our goals—it’s living our values.

There’s no higher value than aspiring to be better tomorrow than we are today. There’s no greater accomplishment than...

take a quiz about your hidden potential, visit www.adamgrant.net.

Become a creature of discomfort Don’t be afraid to try a new style.

Seek discomfort. Instead of just striving to learn, aim to feel uncomfortable.

Set a mistake budget. To encourage trial and error, set a goal for the minimum number of mistakes you want to make per day or per week.

Become a sponge Increase your absorptive capacity. Seek out new knowledge, skills, and perspectives to fuel your growth—not

Ask for advice, not feedback. Feedback is backward-looking—it leads people to criticize you or cheer for you. Advice is forward-looking—it leads people to coach you.

“What’s one thing I can do better next time?”

Be the coach you hope to have. Demonstrate that honesty is the highest expression of loyalty.

Become an imperfectionist Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Practice wabi sabi, the art of honoring beauty in imperfection, by identifying some shortcomings that you can accept.

SET UP SCAFFOLDING TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES Look outward for the right support at the right time.

Turn practice into play Turn the daily grind into a source of daily joy.

To maintain harmonious passion, design practice around deliberate play.

Compete against yourself. Measure your progress over time, not against an opponent.

Be proactive about rest and recovery. Don’t wait until you’re burned out or bored out to take breaks—build them into your schedule.

Taking time off helps to sustain harmonious passion, unlock fresh ideas, and deepen learning. Relaxing is not a waste of time; it’s an investment in well-being.

Find a compass. You don’t need a map to start on a new route—you just need a compass to gauge whether you’re heading in the right direction.

Find a side gig. When you find yourself languishing, you can build momentum by taking a detour to a new destination.

Teach what you want to learn. The best way to learn something is to teach it.

Build confidence by coaching others. When you’re doubting your ability to overcome an obstacle, instead of seeking advice, try giving advice.

Harness both high and low expectations as motivation.

Don’t waste a brain. Recognize that intelligence comes in many forms, and every child has the potential to excel.

Unearth collective intelligence in teams

Transform groups into teams. Collective intelligence depends on cohesion—aligning a team around shared responsibility for a meaningful mission.

Choose leaders based on prosocial skills.

leader is not the loudest talker, but the best listener.

Shift from brainstorming to brainwriting. For more balanced participation and better solutions, before you meet as a group, have people generate and evaluate ideas independently.