Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

by Adam M. Grant

The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.

feeling awkward and making mistakes was a sign of learning.

replaced my usual feedback questions with a basic request for advice.[*] What’s the one thing I can do better? Suddenly people started giving me useful tips. Don’t lead with a joke unless you’re confident

I was distancing myself from them instead of connecting with them.

They fail to realize that the purpose of reviewing your mistakes isn’t to shame your past self. It’s to educate your future self.

Wabi sabi is the art of honoring the beauty in imperfection. It’s not about creating intentional imperfections. It’s about accepting that flaws are inevitable—and recognizing that they don’t stop something from becoming sublime.

Beating yourself up doesn’t make you stronger—it leaves you bruised. Being kind to yourself isn’t about ignoring your weaknesses. It’s about giving yourself permission to learn from your disappointments.

After people watch an especially upsetting film clip, over the next week they typically have six or seven disturbing flashbacks. But if they’re randomly assigned to play a few rounds of Tetris right after watching the scene, it cuts their flashbacks in half over the next week. Somehow, the act of rotating, moving, and dropping geometric blocks shields us from intrusive thoughts and aversive emotions.

breaks unlock fresh ideas. In

Lin-Manuel Miranda dreamed up his blockbuster musical Hamilton while daydreaming on vacation, sitting on a pool float with a margarita in his hand. It’s why Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler all regularly took walks nearly as long as their workdays. Third,

Relaxing is not a waste of time—it’s an investment in well-being. Breaks are not a distraction—they’re a chance to reset attention and incubate ideas. Play is not a frivolous activity—it’s a source of joy and a path to mastery.

In Finnish schools, a popular mantra is “We can’t afford to waste a brain.”

They know that the key to nurturing hidden potential is not to invest in students who show early signs of high ability. It’s to invest in every student regardless of apparent ability.