Book Review: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
3 Things I Learned From Grant's Latest Book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things
I finished Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things at the end of January, and it left me feeling like I could do big things this year, which I think is how you want to feel at the end of reading a more personal development type book.
Whenever we pick up any book, we don't come to it with a blank slate. We want something from it — usually to be entertained, informed, or inspired. I wanted guidance from Grant's book, and he delivered. He made me think about how I learn, receive feedback, and my character's role in achieving my dreams. (He even has a quiz on his website to help assess your hidden potential.)
Below, I’m pulling some of the bigger concepts I learned while reading Hidden Potential. I also want to note that the book is split into three different parts — Skills of Character, Structures for Motivation, and Systems of Opportunity. Grant wrote the first two parts to be informative and actionable in your personal life. Meanwhile, the third part of the book centers on how to make changes in society and education to allow hidden potential to thrive. I found it interesting but not personally applicable to my life. It would be interesting to hear how someone in a teacher or government role takes his research and advice.
You can gain a lot from being a human sponge
Early in the book, Grant introduces a matrix that helps you identify what kind of learner you are and how you receive feedback. I took to this section a lot because even though I’m proactive in learning, I have a long way to go regarding how I feel about feedback. He suggests that the best kind of person you can be is a human sponge (to be proactive and have a growth mindset that’s open to feedback). This whole section was fascinating.
If you’re not playing, your work will suffer
One of my favorite concepts introduced in the book is the power of deliberate play. Grant suggests that adding more joy and play to your job or passion doesn’t distract you from reaching your goal but instead helps fill your tank so you can keep pushing through. In addition to helping you sink into flow more, deliberate play also helps you avoid boreout (the blah feeling you get when you’re understimulated).
You need a compass, not a map
I am a rule follower and tend to feel more comfortable when I know exactly where I’m going and how I’m getting there. I think it’s hindered my ability to dream big and take big risks for myself and my dreams. Grant writes that thinking we need a perfectly laid out map before moving forward with our goals keeps us feeling stuck. Instead, the goal should be to grab hold of a compass. Finding your compass can also make you more flexible, whether that means needing to take steps back or redirecting your plan altogether.
Next up, I’m reading the TikTok viral book, The 12 Week Year by Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian P. Morgan and Michael Lennington. It’s paired well with Grant’s more research-heavy book. I’ll have more on that book next week!