Talent Is Overrated
March 2009
Career & Self-Development: Business Skills
SOUNDVIEW
Executive Book Summaries www.summary.com ®
Talent Is Overrated
What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
THE SUMMARY IN BRIEF
Few people are truly great at what they do. But why aren’t they? Why don’t they manage businesses like Jack Welch or play golf like Tiger Woods? Asked to explain why a few people truly excel, most of us offer one of two answers. The first is hard work. Yet hard workers aren’t always great. The other possibility is that the elite possess an innate talent for excelling in their field. The trouble is, scientific evidence doesn’t support the notion that specific natural talents make great performers. So what’s the real solution to the mystery of high performance? According to author Geoff Colvin, both the hard work and natural talent camps are wrong. What really makes all the difference is a highly specific kind of effort called “deliberate practice.” Based on extensive research, Talent Is Overrated shares the secrets of extraordinary performance and how to apply these principles to our lives and work. Colvin explains cutting-edge research and eye-opening facts that debunk the myth of innate talent. Most profoundly, Colvin shows that great performance isn’t reserved for a preordained few. The price may be high — but it is available to us all. by Geoff Colvin
CONTENTS
What About Tiger?
Page 2
How Smart Do You Have to Be?
Page 3
What Deliberate Practice Is and Isn’t
Page 4
IN THIS SUMMARY, YOU WILL LEARN:
• The real source of great performance. • Why innate abilities are not necessarily indicative of great performance. • The true role of intelligence and memory in high achievement. • Why “deliberate practice” is the real method for achieving great performance. • How to apply the principles of great performance in your life. • How to apply the principles of great performance in your organization.
Published by Soundview
Career & Self-Development: Business Skills
SOUNDVIEW
Executive Book Summaries www.summary.com ®
Talent Is Overrated
What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
THE SUMMARY IN BRIEF
Few people are truly great at what they do. But why aren’t they? Why don’t they manage businesses like Jack Welch or play golf like Tiger Woods? Asked to explain why a few people truly excel, most of us offer one of two answers. The first is hard work. Yet hard workers aren’t always great. The other possibility is that the elite possess an innate talent for excelling in their field. The trouble is, scientific evidence doesn’t support the notion that specific natural talents make great performers. So what’s the real solution to the mystery of high performance? According to author Geoff Colvin, both the hard work and natural talent camps are wrong. What really makes all the difference is a highly specific kind of effort called “deliberate practice.” Based on extensive research, Talent Is Overrated shares the secrets of extraordinary performance and how to apply these principles to our lives and work. Colvin explains cutting-edge research and eye-opening facts that debunk the myth of innate talent. Most profoundly, Colvin shows that great performance isn’t reserved for a preordained few. The price may be high — but it is available to us all. by Geoff Colvin
CONTENTS
What About Tiger?
Page 2
How Smart Do You Have to Be?
Page 3
What Deliberate Practice Is and Isn’t
Page 4
IN THIS SUMMARY, YOU WILL LEARN:
• The real source of great performance. • Why innate abilities are not necessarily indicative of great performance. • The true role of intelligence and memory in high achievement. • Why “deliberate practice” is the real method for achieving great performance. • How to apply the principles of great performance in your life. • How to apply the principles of great performance in your organization.
Published by Soundview