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Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else | 
 enlarge | Author: Geoff Colvin
Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
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Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 136
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1
ISBN: 1591842247
Dewey Decimal Number: 153.9
EAN: 9781591842248
ASIN: 1591842247
Publication Date: October 16, 2008
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Product Description
Expanding on a landmark cover story in Fortune, a top journalist debunks the myths of exceptional performance.
One of the most popular Fortune articles in many years was a cover story called What It Takes to Be Great. Geoff Colvin offered new evidence that top performers in any field--from Tiger Woods and Winston Churchill to Warren Buffett and Jack Welch--are not determined by their inborn talents. Greatness doesn t come from DNA but from practice and perseverance honed over decades.
And not just plain old hard work, like your grandmother might have advocated, but a very specific kind of work. The key is how you practice, how you analyze the results of your progress and learn from your mistakes, that enables you to achieve greatness.
Now Colvin has expanded his article with much more scientific background and real-world examples. He shows that the skills of business negotiating deals, evaluating financial statements, and all the rest obey the principles that lead to greatness, so that anyone can get better at them with the right kind of effort. Even the hardest decisions and interactions can be systematically improved.
This new mind-set, combined with Colvin s practical advice, will change the way you think about your job and career and will inspire you to achieve more in all you do.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
 Deliberate practice "hurts but it works." October 16, 2008
Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas)
151 out of 175 found this review helpful
Colvin set out to answer this question: "What does great performance require?" In this volume, he shares several insights generated by hundreds of research studies whose major conclusions offer what seem to be several counterintuitive perspectives on what is frequently referred to as "talent." (See Pages 6-7.) In this context, I am reminded of Thomas Edison's observation that "vision without execution is hallucination." If Colvin were asked to paraphrase that to indicate his own purposes in this book, my guess (only a guess) is that his response would be, "Talent without deliberate practice is latent" and agrees with Darrell Royal that "potential" means "you ain't done it yet." In other words, there would be no great performances in any field (e.g. business, theatre, dance, symphonic music, athletics, science, mathematics, entertainment, exploration) without those who have, through deliberate practice developed the requisite abilities.
It occurs to me that, however different they may be in almost all other respects, athletes such as Cynthia Cooper, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Lorena Ochoa, Candace Parker, Michael Phelps, Vijay Singh, and Tiger Woods "make it look so easy" in competition because their preparation is so focused, rigorous, and thorough. Obviously, they do not win every game, match, tournament, etc. Colvin's point (and I agree) is that all great performers "make it look so easy" because of their commitment to deliberate practice, often for several years before their first victory. In fact, Colvin cites a "ten-year rule" widely endorsed in chess circles (attributed to Herbert Simon and William Chase) that "no one seemed to reach the top ranks of chess players without a decade or so of intensive study, and some required much more time." The same could also be said of "overnight sensations" who struggled for years to prepare for their "big break" on Broadway or in Hollywood.
Colvin duly acknowledges that deliberate practice "is a large concept, and to say that it explains everything would be simplistic and reductive." Colvin goes on to say, "Critical questions immediately present themselves: What exactly needs to be practiced? Precisely how? Which specific skills or other assets must be acquired? The research has revealed answers that generalize quite well across a wide range of fields." Even after committing all of my time and attention to several years of deliberate practice, under the direct supervision of the best instructor (e.g. Hank Haney, Butch Harman, or David Leadbetter) I probably could not reduce my handicap to zero but I could lower it under those conditions. Colvin's insights offer a reassurance that almost anyone's performance can be improved, sometimes substantially, even if it isn't world-class. Talent is overrated if it is perceived to be the most important factor. It isn't. In fact, talent does not exist unless and until it is developed...and the only way to develop it is (you guessed it) with deliberate practice. When Ben Hogan was asked the "secret" to playing great golf, he replied, "It's in the dirt."
Others have their reasons for thinking so highly of this book. Here are three of mine. First, Colvin's observations and suggestions are research-driven rather than based almost entirely on theories developed in isolation from real-world phenomena. He commits sufficient attention to identifying the core components of great performance but focuses most of his narrative to explaining how almost anyone can improve her or his own performance. He reveals himself to be both an empiricist as he shares what he has observed and experienced and a pragmatist who is curious to know what works, what doesn't, and why. I also appreciate Colvin's repudiation of the most common misconceptions about the various dimensions of talent. For example, that "is innate; you're born with it, and if you're not born with it, you can't acquire it." Many people still believe that Mozart was born with so much talent that he required very little (if any) development. In fact, according to Alex Ross, "Mozart became Mozart by working furiously hard" as did all others discussed, including Jack Welch, David Ogilvy, Warren Buffett, Robert Rubin, Jerry Rice, Chris Rock, and Benjamin Franklin. Some were prodigies but most were late-bloomers and each followed a significantly different process of development. About all they shared in common is their commitment to continuous self-improvement through deliberate practice.
Here's another reason I hold this book in such high regard. Throughout his narrative, Colvin inserts clusters of insights and recommendations that literally anyone can consider and then act upon to improve her or his individual performance as well as helping to improve the performance of a team of which she or he is a member. For example:
1. Attributes of deliberate practice (Pages 66-72)
2. What top performers perceive that others do not notice (Pages 89-94)
3. Benefits of having a "rich mental model"(Pages 123-124)
4. Rules for peak performance that "elite" organizations follow (Pages 128-136)
5. Misconceptions about innovation and creativity (Pages 149-151)
6. How innovators become great (Pages 159-161)
7. How to make organizations innovative (Pages 162-166)
8. What homes can teach organizations (Pages 172-175)
9. The "drivers" of great performance (Pages 187-193)
10. How some organizations "blow it" (Pages 194-198)
Corbin provides a wealth of research-driven information that he has rigorously examined and he also draws upon his own extensive and direct experience with all manner of organizations and their C-level executives. Throughout his narrative, with great skill, he sustains a personal rapport with his reader. It is therefore appropriate that, in the final chapter, he invokes direct address and poses a series of questions. "What would cause you to do the enormous work necessary to be a top-performing CEO, Wall Street trader, jazz, pianist, courtroom lawyer, or anything else? Would anything? The answer depends on your answers to two basic questions: What do you really want? And what do you really believe? What you want - really want - is fundamental because deliberate practice is a heavy investment." Corbin has provided all the evidence anyone needs to answer those two questions that, in fact, serve as a challenge.
Colvin leaves no doubt that by understanding how a few become great, anyone can become better...and that includes his reader. This reader is now convinced that talent is a process that "grows," not a pre-determined set of skills. Also, that deliberate practice "hurts but it works." Long ago, Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." It would be "tragically constraining," Colvin asserts, for anyone to lack sufficient self-confidence because "what the evidence shouts most loudly is striking, liberating news: That great performance is not reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone."
 Largely Based on HBR's "The Making of an Expert, July 2007 December 18, 2008
Robert Rowntree (Richmond Hill, Ontario)
47 out of 60 found this review helpful
This book is substantially a suspicious rehash of a major peer reviewed article. Colvin and Gladwell Outliers: The Story of Success are chasing the same topic, incredibly within the same few months and referencing the same research. Albeit with different titles and stories. Colvin does a good job giving credit to that author. The problems begin when Colvin starts to take parts of the research and explode the number of pages dedicated to one point -deliberate practice. And while that point, deliberate practice is important, it is one of several ingredients in the making of an expert. In the paper "Making of an expert" by K. Anders Ericsson and others, Harvard Business Review, July 2007 they detail three well accepted conditions:
1. Delibrate Practice - the author sites verbatim with strong emphasizes
2. World class coaching - Important but not emphasized well
3. Enthusiastic family support - Very important and not emphasized well
And obviously the expert-to-be needs to be motivated. What is disturbing is Covin doesn't give much credit (wrongly) in terms of pages, to the support environment namely families and coaches. Ok, there are passing paragraphs but no where near the emphasis it should be according to the original researchers. Intuitively, as well as deep in all parents hearts, they know those new champions/experts had to have great parents. Think of Tiger Woods (Golf), the Mannings (NFL) and Obama to name a few. The deliberate practice condition also encompasses the 10,000 hours requirement in becoming an expert whether that is business, music or sports to name a few endeavors. This translates into roughly what I call the 4/6/10 phenomena - 4 hours a day, 6 days a week for 10 years. Taking a few weeks off a year helps recovery so its about 1000 hours per year.
Of the three conditions, enthusiastic family support seems to be the catalyst for the other two. That article is well written and easy to read. You can go to the HBR site and pick it up for $7. There are excellent peer reviewed references in that article worth reading. One of the key references is available at this site The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance. It may be a little more academic but if you already have read "The making of an expert" and want more, than this is it.
Good old fashioned hard work November 4, 2008
Jason Ball
39 out of 43 found this review helpful
It's about time this book was written. The author, Geoff Colvin, writes for Fortune and if you saw his piece called "What It Takes to Be Great" you know why it was such a sensation. Colvin shows that perseverence and practice are what set the truly great individuals in any endeavor apart.
But there's more. Colvin postulates that it isn't how hard you work, but how you practice that leads to greatness. It's the analysis of your progress (en route to perfection) that you can learn from your mistakes, improve and become great. The book uses ample real-world anecdotes and some scientific analysis to bolster this theories. In the end the book is an empowering look at what you can do to achieve greatness in your work and anything you put your mind to.
Another book I enjoyed deeply this week (I read a lot) and I highly recommend, though this one is based on the author's Harvard Business Review article, is The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book
Great performers work harder and in a more focused way than everybody else October 17, 2008
Craig Matteson (Ann Arbor, MI)
21 out of 28 found this review helpful
I have always held that talent is a multiplier of work rather than the decisive factor in accomplishment and success. By this I mean that someone whose has a high level of talent, say a 10, and an average level of work, a 5, is going to accomplish at a level of 50. While a person of a level 7 talent who works very hard, a level 10, will outperform them at a level of 70. I have seen this borne out again and again in my life.
Geoff Colvin says that it isn't talent or hard work that are the deciding factors in achieving great performance, but a specific kind of focus when developing and practicing your skills. He calls it deliberate practice. Highly successful people not only practice a lot and work very hard at it, but they also have the ability to focus on what it is that must be practiced and how to work at it. And they can do this even though it is not particularly enjoyable and can, in fact, be painful.
Colvin argues that what we often point to as talent, say, for playing a musical instrument or any specific skill really doesn't exist. When high performers are examined there is little consistent evidence that being a prodigy is a strong predictor of later success. Even Mozart and Tiger Woods, were less about a Divine Spark and more about who their father's were, the focused training they received, and the immense amount of deliberate practice they put in. The author shows us how Jerry Rice worked six days per week during the off season to develop his abilities. Rice identified areas that mattered to his success and developed them systematically. He worked on developing his cardiovascular strength in the mornings, weight training in the afternoons, and those who joined him to see what is was like ended up feeling sick. These people tried to jump into a practice regimen that Rice had built up over years. No wonder they couldn't keep up! Deliberate practice requires building up abilities through repetition after repetition after repetition regardless of how you feel about doing it at any given time.
This repetition provides you with a level of familiarity and insight that others will not possess. While it may appear to be talent or luck, it is really based on becoming so familiar with the tasks involved and knowing at every moment what is going on. The book also takes you through how to apply it to your own life and in your business.
The multiplier idea I have long held is discussed on page 198 in very similar terms to my own. I also agree with him when he says, "What you really believe about the source of great performance thus becomes the foundation for all you will ever achieve." Colvin is honest that great achievement has a high price, a price most people are not willing to pay. However, even if you aren't aiming at greatness, you can still use these ideas to improve and accomplish more.
I think this is right. However, can I note that I think that insight to know what the right practice is and the capacity for that level of work is also a talent, is it not?
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
Not Worth Reading! November 22, 2008
Loyd E. Eskildson (Phoenix, AZ.)
14 out of 40 found this review helpful
Several years ago I saw a quote from a highly respected business leader to the effect that shelves of management books come out every year, and most are not worth reading. This one isn't either.
Colvin tells us that in field after field, people with lots of experience were no better at their jobs than those with very little. Hard to believe, and it isn't true. Yes, more experienced doctors reliably score lower on tests of medical knowledge than less experienced doctors just out of training and medical school. However, there are also journals full of evidence that "practice makes perfect" - those with years of experience at eg. surgery have better outcomes. Also, my own experience definitely proved that new computer programmers are very useful, at first.
As for talent, Colvin admits that not all researchers believe that specifically targeted innate abilities don't exist. Need more evidence - ask yourself why black athletes consistently outperform most whites in running, basketball, and football. The answer - they're bodies are different, with a difference in foot structure and possibly other areas also.
Colvin goes in so many directions that it sometimes is difficult to keep track. Focusing on business success, presumably his area of greatest interest as a Fortune editor, allows explaining some of the research difficulties of explaining business success w/o reference to talent.
1)Critical requirements vary situationally. New products eventually become commodities. The managerial skills necessary for success in these two life-cycle phases differ greatly.
2)Agreement on what "good business performance" consists of is often lacking. For example, is it growth in market share, short-term profitability, peer ratings, social responsibility, situational depending on the economic cycle, or worker ratings? All have been used, creating lots of confusion.
Eventually Colvin cites evidence that the amount of musical practice is the best predictor of musical skill. Duh! (Previously it was neophytes are better than those experienced. At still another point he cites Jack Welch's practice at managing as key to his success at G.E. - except he didn't have any, just started out managing with his chemical engineering degree and was successful from the start.) But why is it that after years and years of hard (and embarrassing) practice I still can't catch very well? Because I lack talent.
Bottom Line: "Talent is Overrated" is one of the majority of business books that aren't worth reading. Both Colvin and Malcomb Gladwell should stop wasting trees.
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