Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

 

Title: Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater

Author: Adam  Grant

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: October 24, 2023

Length: 302 Pages

Audible: 7 Hours and 21 Minutes

About the Author
Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of TED’s most popular speakers,
His pioneering research has inspired people to rethink fundamental assumptions about motivation, generosity, creativity, and potential. 

Unlocking Hidden Potential and Achieving Greater Things
Dr. Grant believes the learning process isn't complete when we acquire knowledge. It is complete when we consistently apply that knowledge.

The author focuses on the following three concepts for unlocking hidden potential;

• Build character skills. Become a creature of discomfort - Become a sponge - Become an imperfectionist.
• Set up scaffolding to overcome obstacles. Turn practice into play - Take the roundabout path to progress - Fly by your own bootstraps.
• Build Systems of Opportunity. Design schools to bring out the best in all students - Unearth collective intelligence in teams - Discover uncut gems in job interviews and college applications.

My Thoughts
I listened to this book on Audible (twice) and then printed out the PDF summary sheets that came with the audiobook. I studied the key concepts that were presented and determined which ones I needed to consistently apply to my life.

I want to become a creature of discomfort. I tend to beat myself up when I make a mistake and live the experience over and over again in my mind. This is especially true when I play the piano in public. I have struggled with "stage fright" since I was a child. Dr. Grant suggests that when you expect to stumble, you ruminate about it less and improve more. 

I like the idea of becoming a sponge. Progress hinges on the quality of the information you take in, not on the quantity of information you seek out. I will try to determine what information is absorbed and which should be filtered out. 

I will turn practice into play. I will apply this to my piano practice and my art projects. I will measure my progress over time, not against an opponent. 

I will harness both high and low expectations as motivation. "If ignorant naysayers doubt you, take it as a challenge. Instead of letting them crush your confidence, recognize it as an opportunity to prove them wrong."

There are many interesting concepts in this book but these four ideas really resonate with me. This is an excellent book and the author does a great job reading the audiobook. I have become addicted to Audible and love it more every day.

MY RATING - 5 STARS OUT OF 5

The Stoic Mindset - Book Review

Title: The Stoic Mindset; Living the Ten Principles of Stoicism

Author: Mark Tuitert

Publisher: St. Martin Essentials

Publication Date: April 8, 2024

About the Author
 Mark Tuitert won the gold medal in speed skating in the 1500-meter event at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. After retiring from competitive speed skating, Mark has continued to make a positive impact as a bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, host of the podcast Drive, motivational speaker, and representative for some of the largest organizations in the world.

An Initiation Into Stoic Mindset and Action
Mark Tuitert presents the following ten principles for developing a Stoic mindset;

• Use setbacks as signposts
• Judge less, understand more
• Win by not focusing on winning
• What's good for the team is good for you
• Accept your fate (and love it)
• Death makes life epic
• Happiness is a side effect
• A map is good, a compass better
• Character is your most important project
• Actions speak louder than words

My Thoughts
Mr. Tuitert started reading about Stoic philosophy in the weeks before he won a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Since then, he has continued to study and apply Stoic philosophy to his life.

The author does a good job sharing Stoic principles and explaining how he has used these principles to improve his life. He shares many experiences about his athletic endeavors and his struggles to get to the Olympics. 

There are some very helpful practice exercises at the end of each chapter. There are also colorful illustrations that illustrate and clarify the Stoic concepts.

Stoicism has been undergoing a resurgence in the 21st century. Over the last decade, the philosophy of Stoicism has managed to permeate mainstream culture in a way that most philosophies never do. This book does an excellent job of presenting material that provides core information and encourages the reader to delve deeper into the subject. 

This book is an excellent introduction to Stoicism and offers a great deal of help in applying the principles to your life. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to Net Galley for an excellent reading opportunity.

The Common Good

“Unless we work for the common good there won't be any” ~ Unknown

"All men were created to busy themselves with labor for the common good. " ~ John Calvin

This is the first of ten articles that I am writing about character building. These articles will be based on a booklet that was published in 1915 named "Character Building". This is the Introduction to the blog posts in the series;

The Science Of Character Building

The booklet believes that working for the common good is an important part of character building. Common good has been defined as whatever is best for society as a whole. This is what the publication says about the common good;

"Man serves himself best by promoting the common
good.

A civilization is necessary for the peace and contentment of
the people.

The better the civilization, the easier it will be for each
and all to be prosperous and happy.

Those who promote the common good are building the temple of
civilization.

And those who do not help to promote the common good, but neglect it or try to pluck it, are tearing out the pillars that support the temple of civilization.

"What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort; to defend needed reforms against easy attacks; to serve your nation, beginning with your neighbor. I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens, building communities of service and a nation of character. " ~ George W. Bush
Inaugural address, January 20, 2001.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." ~ Luke 6:31 NIV

The Science Of Character Building

The dictionary defines "character" as "the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing".

I really like Abigail Van Buren's definition of character;
"The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back."

I recently came across a little booket about character building that was written in the early 1900s. I read this material with great interest because the author believed that character building and character teaching is a science.

He defined ten subjects that must be studied to produce the character desired, resulting in a citizenship of such high character that it will solve all the problems of mankind. I will write a series of blog articles about each of these ten subjects and discuss how they have power in character building.

The subjects that I will be addressing are;

1. The common good
2. Habit
3. Prejudice
4. Vanity
5. Selfishness, Covetousness
6. A cheerful disposition
7. Honesty
8. Industry
9. Self-Reliance
10. Home Ownership

I hope you will join me over the next few weeks as we explore these subjects and discuss how they relate to character building.

What does the word "character" mean to you?