Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

by Adam M. Grant

Personality is your predisposition—your basic instincts for how to think, feel, and act. Character is your capacity to prioritize your values over your instincts.

If personality is how you respond on a typical day, character is how you show up on a hard day.

Personality is not your destiny—it’s your tendency. Character skills enable you to transcend that tendency to be true to your principles.

The way you like to learn is what makes you comfortable, but it isn’t necessarily how you learn best.

Accelerating learning requires a second form of courage: being brave enough to use your knowledge as you acquire it.

Instead of seeking feedback, you’re better off asking for advice.

Many people fail to benefit from constructive criticism because they overreact and under-correct.

People judge your potential from your best moments, not your worst. What if you gave yourself the same grace?

“As you get better and better at what you do, your ability to communicate your understanding or to help others learn that skill often gets worse and worse.”

It’s often said that talent sets the floor, but character sets the ceiling.

Our job isn’t to apply the pressure that brings out their brilliance. It’s to make sure we don’t overlook those who have already faced that pressure—and recognize their potential to shine.