Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

Grant explores how infusing passion into practice transforms the daily grind into a joyful process, enhancing skill development and performance. He uses the story of Evelyn Glennie, a profoundly deaf percussionist, to illustrate how passion and innovative learning methods can overcome significant challenges. Despite her growing hearing loss, Evelyn learned to feel music through vibrations with the help of her percussion teacher, Ron. He tailored her practice sessions to be enjoyable and challenging, fostering her passion and helping her associate different pitches with different body parts. This method allowed her to become the world’s first full-time percussion soloist, winning numerous awards and performing globally.

Grant emphasizes that deliberate practice—the structured repetition of tasks to improve performance—is crucial but can be monotonous and lead to burnout. Deliberate practice is effective for predictable tasks, like playing a violin or swinging a golf club but obsession with this practice can drain joy. Harmonious passion, which is the joy in the process rather than pressure to achieve outcomes, is key to sustained motivation and performance. Elite musicians often practice out of interest and enjoyment, rather than compulsion. Harmonious passion leads to flow—a state of total absorption in the task, enhancing learning and performance.

Deliberate play—combining elements of deliberate practice and free play—makes skill development enjoyable. It introduces novelty and variety, breaking complex tasks into simpler parts. Evelyn Glennie uses deliberate play by switching instruments and creating new challenges to maintain interest and passion. This method is effective in various fields, including sports and healthcare. Grant highlights examples of deliberate play in professional development. Medical schools use improvisational comedy to teach nonverbal cues, improving doctors’ communication skills. In sales, role-playing exercises enhance performance and enjoyment. In sports, deliberate play prevents burnout and what Grant calls “boreout“ by making practice engaging and developmental.

Grant draws on the example of professional basketball player Stephen Curry, who transformed his practice routines into games, competing against his past performance to foster continuous improvement. This approach helped Curry become one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, maintaining motivation and joy in practice.

Grant concludes that integrating deliberate play into practice can amplify motivation, sustain harmonious passion, and accelerate development. Taking breaks is also essential to prevent burnout and maintain interest. Deliberate play and breaks ensure that practice remains a source of joy and progress, unlocking hidden potential.

Grant explores how individuals can overcome stagnation and continue to progress, using the story of R. A. Dickey, a professional baseball player, as a prime example. R. A. Dickey was a standout baseball player from a young age, drawing attention from professional scouts by high school. However, his career stalled when he was found to lack a crucial ligament in his pitching arm, significantly reducing his signing bonus and relegating him to the lowest tier of minor league baseball. Dickey struggled for years in the minors, occasionally making it to the majors but failing to secure his spot. In his early thirties, Dickey faced the reality of his declining prospects. Despite continuous practice and attempts to improve, he was repeatedly demoted, and it seemed his career was nearing its end. Instead, Dickey embraced a new, unorthodox approach to pitching: the knuckleball. This pitch, known for its erratic movement and difficulty to master, required him to unlearn his previous pitching techniques and start from scratch.

Grant emphasizes that getting unstuck often involves significant changes in approach and embracing discomfort. The chapter highlights the importance of seeking new directions and methods when progress stalls. Grant draws on cognitive scientists Wayne Gray and John Lindstedt, who found that performance often declines before it improves—a necessary regression to achieve long-term progress. This involves letting go of old methods and being willing to backtrack to find a better path. Grant discusses how stepping back and seeking alternative routes can be challenging, especially when it feels like losing ground. However, such steps are crucial for finding new ways forward. Dickey’s success with the knuckleball was not immediate; it took years of trial, error, and persistence. He threw over 30,000 knuckleballs before achieving consistency.

Grant also addresses the value of diversions and detours in maintaining motivation and avoiding stagnation. Dickey’s climb of Mount Kilimanjaro served as a significant detour, providing him with renewed energy and perspective. This experience contributed to his best professional season, culminating in winning the Cy Young Award for best pitcher at age 37.

The chapter concludes by reinforcing that progress is rarely linear. Periods of stagnation and setbacks are natural and necessary for long-term growth. Embracing a nonlinear path, seeking new methods, and allowing for detours can lead to significant achievements.

Grant examines how individuals can overcome significant obstacles and achieve great things, using the story of the Golden Thirteen—the first Black men to enter officer training in the US Navy—as a central example.

The Golden Thirteen were a diverse group of 16 men from different backgrounds, called to report for officer training in January 1944. This group faced severe prejudice and racial discrimination in the Navy, which had only recently allowed Black men to serve in non-menial roles. Despite this, they excelled, achieving the highest marks in US Navy history and proving their doubters wrong.

The chapter explores the concept of bootstrapping, traditionally seen as an individual effort to overcome challenges. However, Grant argues that true success often comes from collaborative bootstrapping—leveraging the support and resources of others. The Golden Thirteen exemplified this by pooling their knowledge and skills, studying together in secret, and teaching each other the necessary material to pass their exams.

Grant highlights the importance of viewing obstacles as challenges rather than threats. This mindset, combined with a growth mindset—the belief that abilities can be developed—was crucial for the Golden Thirteen. They not only relied on their individual strengths but also built a collective scaffolding of support, which was essential for their success. The chapter also examines the concept of the tutor effect, which shows that teaching others can significantly enhance one’s own learning. By teaching their peers, the Golden Thirteen reinforced their own knowledge and skills, which contributed to their exceptional performance.

Grant provides examples from his own teaching experience to illustrate the power of collaborative learning. When he allowed his students to use a lifeline on their exams—writing down a classmate’s name who might know the answer—it led to improved performance. This system encouraged students to study together and share knowledge, demonstrating that collaboration can be a powerful tool for overcoming challenges.

The chapter further explores how coaching others can build confidence. Grant discusses the coach effect, where offering guidance and encouragement to others can reinforce one’s motivation and self-belief. This principle was evident in the Golden Thirteen, who not only taught each other but also motivated and held each other accountable. Grant also addresses the impact of low expectations from others, known as the Golem effect, and how it can limit performance. However, he also introduces the underdog effect, where low expectations from uninformed sources can actually motivate individuals to prove their doubters wrong. This was a driving force for the Golden Thirteen and for American mountain climber Alison Levine, who defied her critics to achieve remarkable feats.

The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of finding purpose in fighting for others and against low expectations. The Golden Thirteen, motivated by their desire to pave the way for future generations, demonstrated that collaborative bootstrapping and mutual support are key to defying gravity and achieving hidden potential.