Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

by Adam M. Grant

Character is more than just having principles. It’s a learned capacity to live by your principles.

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.

Character is often confused with personality, but they’re not the same. 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.

The psychologists called the tank and gun skills “hard skills” because they involved working with weapons made from steel and aluminum. “Soft skills” were the “important job-related skills that involve little or no interaction with machines.” These were actually the social, emotional, and behavioral skills that soldiers needed to succeed in any role; they were only called “soft” because they didn’t apply to working with metal.

The best way to accelerate growth is to embrace, seek, and amplify discomfort.