Adam Grant: Top Organizational Psychologist Explains How to Discover Your Hidden Potential in 2024 | E268

Learning from this episode of Young and Profiting is that defining success by progress, rather than just performance, leads to greater growth. As Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, professor at Wharton School of Business, and best-selling author, explains, being uncomfortable and taking on challenges can lead to the most significant learning experiences. While it may be tempting to focus solely on results, it's essential to remember that progress, particularly in the form of learning and growth, ultimately determines our success. Furthermore, Adam emphasizes the importance of giving and helping others succeed, as well as the need to rethink and adapt in a rapidly changing world. By embracing these concepts, we can set ourselves up for long-term success.

Intelligence and execution are key to making a difference in the world, but it's essential to be open to rethinking and unlearning. Original thinking and being data-driven are important, but it's equally crucial to be data-informed and use good judgment. Character building is vital for leaders, and while focusing on skills and processes is important as an organizational psychologist, it's equally important to teach values and character to help future leaders avoid common pitfalls. Adam Grant, a professor at the Wharton School of Business, emphasizes the importance of these lessons and strives to incorporate them into his teaching. By focusing on character building and equipping students with the necessary skills, Grant aims to prepare future leaders to navigate complex situations and make a positive impact on the world.

Focusing on character building can significantly improve one's professional success. Founders who prioritize proactivity, persistence, and discipline have been shown to create opportunities and overcome hurdles more effectively than those who only focus on career skills. Building character is often overlooked, especially after childhood, and it's essential to identify personal character gaps and work on closing them. Adam Grant's latest book, "Hidden Potential," emphasizes the importance of recognizing and nurturing everyone's hidden potential, which is often underestimated based on early performance. In fact, many world-class achievers were not initially recognized for their potential, but their motivation and passion for learning played a crucial role in their success. Therefore, it's essential not to judge people's abilities based on their early performance and instead encourage continuous learning and character development.

Looking up to individuals at the peak of their careers or expertise can be demotivating instead of inspiring. This phenomenon, as shared by the speaker, occurred when they tried to learn public speaking by watching Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. Feeling overwhelmed and out of reach, the speaker discovered that seeking guidance from those who are just a few steps ahead can be more effective. This is because they can relate to one's current situation and provide valuable insights into the learning process. The speaker also emphasized that slow learners and late bloomers often bring new ideas to the table and master skills more deeply due to the effort required to learn. So, instead of fixating on the "peak performers," focus on finding mentors who are a few steps ahead and can help guide you on your unique learning journey.

Being a high-achieving student doesn't guarantee success later in life, and perfectionism can hinder personal growth. The speaker shared an experience of a friend who excelled in academics but struggled in her career. Perfectionism might have played a role, as she was used to excelling and became easily discouraged when faced with challenges. Additionally, skills that lead to success in school don't always translate to the workforce. The speaker also shared a personal story of her own experience with perfectionism while diving in high school. She focused too much on perfecting easy tasks instead of challenging herself and learning new skills. Ultimately, perfectionism can limit growth and prevent individuals from reaching their full potential.

Setting realistic targets and understanding the importance of a task can greatly improve productivity and progress. The speaker, a diver, shared how they wasted half their practice time trying to perfect every takeoff, but once they learned to set achievable goals, they made significant improvements. This concept has carried over into their career, where they set different targets for various projects based on importance and value to the audience. For instance, a book may require a target score of 9, while a social media post may only need a 6.5. By calibrating effort based on the task's significance, the speaker has found immense value in this scoring system. This lesson can be applied to various aspects of life, including personal projects and business ventures, and can help individuals focus their energy on what truly matters.

Having a diverse range of knowledge and experiences, or "cross training," can lead to greater success and creativity. The speaker shared the example of Nobel Prize winning scientists being more likely to have artistic hobbies and how this can unlock their creativity and make them better scientists. They also mentioned the example of Galileo, who used his knowledge of drawing techniques to interpret what he saw through a telescope. By having a broader perspective and being open to learning from different areas, individuals can have more degrees of freedom to look at the world in various ways and potentially make breakthrough discoveries. Additionally, the speaker emphasized the importance of managing all investment accounts in one place for efficient tracking and decision making, as demonstrated by Yahoo Finance.

To future-proof ourselves and our careers in the age of AI, it's essential to focus on our unique experiences and skills, cross-train, and learn from others. Cross-training can involve job rotation, where entrepreneurs take on different roles within their organization, and learning from non-competing peers. Additionally, when seeking advice, it's crucial to ask for suggestions rather than feedback to receive coaching and insights for improvement. By doing so, we can continue to grow and adapt in an ever-changing business landscape. The key is to be open-minded, curious, and proactive in learning new skills and seeking out diverse perspectives.

Seeking advice and feedback is crucial for personal growth, but it's important to remember that not all advice is useful. To overcome discomfort or ego when receiving advice, focus on improving yourself rather than proving yourself. Building a diverse challenge network can help filter and implement effective advice by triangulating perspectives. However, the debate around gifted and talented programs in America raises concerns about potential disadvantages, such as fixed mindsets and social comparisons. Instead, schools should aim to help every child recognize and realize their hidden potential, regardless of initial aptitude or recognition. Proactively seeking advice, triangulating perspectives, and focusing on personal growth can lead to continuous improvement.

Finding enjoyment and interest in a skill can significantly improve one's motivation to excel. This is particularly important for students who struggle, as schools like those in Finland and Estonia demonstrate through their supportive approaches. Additionally, one's weaknesses can be transformed into strengths, as shown by the speaker's own experience of overcoming her writing insecurities at Harvard to become a successful author. The Finnish educational philosophy emphasizes helping every child succeed, providing assistance instead of punishment for those who fall behind. Imposter syndrome, a feeling of inadequacy despite accomplishments, can be a barrier to growth. The speaker's transformation from feeling like a failure at Harvard to embracing the challenge and becoming a better writer illustrates the power of adopting a growth mindset.

Focusing on progress rather than the gap between where we are and where we want to be is essential for growth and success. The speaker shared her personal experience of overcoming her weaknesses in writing and receiving recognition for her progress, rather than her final grade. She emphasized the importance of valuing progress and improvement over performance and talent. Additionally, she discussed the imposter syndrome paradox, where individuals feel like imposters despite their knowledge and abilities, and how seeking discomfort and embracing awkwardness can lead to greater growth. Research shows that people who focus on making themselves uncomfortable while learning, such as in improv comedy, actually grow more than those who focus solely on learning. So, instead of fixating on the gap between where we are and where we want to be, we should celebrate our progress and embrace uncomfortable situations to unlock our full potential.

Embracing discomfort and challenges can lead to significant personal growth. Contrary to popular belief, building confidence comes from taking on challenges rather than waiting to feel ready. By pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones, we can navigate new experiences and build the confidence we need to succeed. It's important to remember that life is like a balanced portfolio - we need a mix of stable and unpredictable outcomes to fuel our growth. Procrastination often stems from a desire to avoid discomfort, but facing challenges head-on can lead to valuable learning experiences. As the speaker mentioned, their friend's experience in college highlights the importance of being comfortable with being uncomfortable. Those who are used to challenging environments may find the real world less daunting, while those who have grown accustomed to comfort may be shocked by the unexpected challenges they face. Embracing discomfort can lead to new opportunities and personal growth.

Procrastination is a complex phenomenon, and it's not always a sign of laziness or lack of motivation. According to the discussion, people who procrastinate moderately are more creative than those who procrastinate little or a lot. However, excessive procrastination can lead to rushing ideas and missing out on the best solutions. The key is to understand why we procrastinate and address the underlying emotions. For some, it might be fear or anxiety, for others, frustration or confusion, and for others, boredom. By identifying the emotional root of procrastination, we can find ways to change our emotions and approach the task differently. So, instead of beating ourselves up for procrastinating, we should recognize it as a normal part of the creative process and use it to our advantage. If you're a chronic procrastinator, try to identify the tasks that you put off and the emotions that make you avoid them. Once you have that information, you can start finding ways to change those emotions and make progress on the tasks that matter most to you.

To combat boredom and procrastination, we can make mundane tasks more interesting by adding novelty and variety. This can be achieved by trying to write a task in a different style or voice, or by setting a time limit to make the task more challenging and rewarding. Additionally, being like a sea sponge in our approach to learning and feedback means filtering out criticism that isn't constructive or coming from a credible source. Scaffolding, as discussed in Adam's book, refers to the importance of dedicating time not only to continuous learning and character development, but also to sustaining motivation. Contrary to the belief that having a permanent mentor or coach is necessary for success, scaffolding involves seeking out various sources of support and guidance throughout different stages of our journey towards mastery.

Just as scaffolding provides temporary support for construction crews to reach new heights, mentors and coaches offer temporary guidance for individuals to learn new skills and grow. However, the goal is not to rely on a mentor indefinitely, but rather to use their guidance as a stepping stone towards self-sufficiency. Furthermore, teaching others what we've learned can deepen our own understanding and mastery of a skill. Adam Grant, the guest on this interview, emphasized the importance of finding mentors for specific seasons in life and shared his unexpected discovery of the time-saving benefit of avoiding alcohol. To learn more about Adam and his work, including his new book "Hidden Potential," visit adamgrant.net. Remember, the best advice often applies to ourselves as much as to others. So, take the quiz on Adam's website to identify your character strengths and areas for growth, and consider sharing your knowledge with others to boost your own learning.

Comparing ourselves to others and striving for perfection can hinder our growth and progress. In the conversation with Adam Grant, we learned about the importance of focusing on our own progress rather than comparing ourselves to others' perceived success. Many of us fall into the trap of assuming that successful people have superior natural abilities or better work ethics than us, not realizing the years of hard work and dedication that led them to their achievements. Perfectionism, with its focus on being flawless, can discourage us from taking risks and asking hard questions. Instead, we should celebrate our progress and define success by how far we've come rather than our performance. By sharing this podcast episode with others and leaving a positive review, we can help both ourselves and the podcast reach new heights. The consistent improver, rather than the MVP, is the one who will likely succeed in the long run. So, let's focus on our progress, help each other grow, and celebrate our successes along the way.