What are you capable of?

Adam Grant is a well-known author and thinker who writes about human behavior. In his book Hidden Potential, he uncovers the methods, mindsets, and tactics others have successfully used to increase their capabilities. In the modern world, what you are capable of is a rallying cry for personal growth and development. Adam Grant helps you navigate this territory with actionable skills and tips you can employ to find your hidden potential!

Hidden Potential

I was initially drawn to this book because of the author, Adam. I’ve read other works by Adam, and they are phenomenal. Adam has a true gift for relaying big ideas in an easy-to-understand manner, using diagrams, stories, and practical advice. As I was reading, I noticed that mindset is the biggest factor in unlocking hidden potential. You can’t learn without failing. This concept is simple for children but a beast to wrap your head around as an adult.

In fact, just this past weekend, I decided to go to the skating rink. I never learned how to skate as a kid. I saw all the kids learning to skate, falling, getting back up, and trying again. I fell once and immediately felt embarrassed—I mean, come on, I’m an adult—if kids can do it, why can’t I? It wasn’t until I realized I would fall that I stepped out of my comfort zone and failed around the roller rink. 

Adam Grant’s book, Hidden Potential, can serve as a guide to help adults remember how to learn again. I found a ton of useful information that has helped me focus on learning, growing, and developing myself continually. 

Lessons in Leadership

Do it scared

You must get in the arena. You can’t hope to learn unless you’re willing to try before you’re ready. We all live in our comfort zones, crushing tasks that we’ve aced time and time again. You have to leave your comfort zone to enter the growth zone. This is where fear creeps in. We don’t want to feel like we’re mediocre at something. We want to get the fulfillment of crushing a task to the expected standard. 

Instead of focusing on others, focus on yourself. I had to do this at the roller rink. I realized I wouldn’t be zooming around the rink like everyone else. My best effort was not at that level yet. I had to go in—scared—and work to the best of my ability. It wasn’t great by any standards, but I will be better the next time I rollerskate. And I’ll be even better the next time after that. Not to mention, the fear will subside as I keep learning and growing my skills. 

You must develop a continual growth mindset to enhance your leadership capabilities as a leader. You also need to teach and coach your team. Understanding how to learn and develop new skills is a critical function of leadership. Help your team overcome their limitations by instilling a “Do it Scared” mindset.

Mistakes are an integral part of learning.

Piggybacking off of the first lesson is the concept of making mistakes or failing. Remember when you were a kid and had to learn how to write your name? Your parents couldn’t even read your early attempts. You made mistakes, learned, tried again, and got better. This process is how learning works; after you get better, you start making new mistakes, and the cycle repeats itself. 

You need to get comfortable with making mistakes. It helps if you foster a feedback mindset for growth. You should go into a new endeavor thinking about the feedback you’ll get. You already know mistakes will happen; you’ve accepted that reality and are ready to learn from your mistakes. You can’t learn from mistakes if you’re afraid to make them. 

As a leader, you should encourage your team to experiment, take risks, and, ultimately, make a lot of mistakes. Your job is to guide your team to make mistakes without causing catastrophic failures. You need to be the leader who encourages mistakes and helps your team learn from their mistakes.

Don’t go alone

We’ve never learned alone—growing up, we had teachers, parents, siblings, and countless others who we relied on to teach us. As we get older, the fear of asking for help starts to creep in. We feel like we should have already learned this skill and feel embarrassed for asking for help so late. 

That’s all in your head. Coaches want to help you get better. You need to find a group of trusted friends and coaches who have mastered the skill you’re learning. Find a coach who values the art of teaching, and use them to help you understand and grow. You should find a coach who enables you to develop scaffolding—the tips and practices you can use to get a foothold into the new endeavor you’re taking on. The best coaches and advisors give you the scaffolding you use to learn, make mistakes, and grow. 

You’re never alone as a leader—you have your peers, your boss, and past mentors/coaches to help guide you. You should be seeking continual feedback as a leader to enhance your skills. Show your team they’re not alone. As a leader, you are the best coach and resource to help your employees grow.

Reflection

• Do it scared: What have you been putting off because you feel unprepared to execute? What can you experiment with today that scares you? What helps comfort your fears? Check out Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset, for more guidance in developing this muscle. 

• Mistakes are an integral part of learning: When was the last time you made a mistake? Have you ever avoided a project or task because you didn’t want to make a mistake? When you make a mistake, how many people actually notice (besides yourself)? If you’re learning a new skill, you should make multiple weekly mistakes. Find enjoyment in the learning process rather than the results you can deliver with your new knowledge. 

• Don’t go alone: Who do you turn to for advice? Do you want answers or guidance to help you make your own mistakes? Focus on coaching that enables you to learn from your mistakes—you don’t want someone to tell you what to do. Build a strong network of trusted advisors who’ve been in your shoes before. 

Summary

I don’t think anyone ever discovers what they’re truly capable of. We just don’t have enough time to maximize our abilities. However, we can get closer to maximum capability by focusing on learning. Your capability grows when your knowledge grows. Learning how to unlock your hidden potential is a game-changer for achieving satisfaction in life, and unlocking the hidden potential of others is a skill that sets good managers apart from great managers.

See you next week, 

Rick