Hidden Potential

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist and author of the book ‘Hidden Potential,’ published in October 2023. If you’re interested in learning how to unlock your hidden potential (and achieve greater things), this is the book to start 2024 with. Grant takes you on his journey to ‘embrace the unbearable awkwardness of learning.’ His key message is that growth is not about the genius you possess but the character you develop. He explains how to build character skills and motivational structures to realize your potential and how to design systems that create opportunities. 

At Caracta, we recognize his key drivers for designing learning journeys (embrace, seek, and amplify discomfort) which are part of our future readiness programs. A new perspective that inspired us was the way he explained that character is more than just having principles. In his view it’s a learned capacity to live by your principles and prioritize your values. Learning comes from practicing and applying knowledge in your own way. Growth depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. We share his opinion that the best way to learn something is to teach it. Reading this book made us realize that in helping our clients design the future of their business, we help ourselves build the character skills he describes as becoming ‘human sponges’ (capacity to absorb and adapt) and ‘creatures of discomfort.’ 

In what area do you expect your hidden potential to be? Which values do you prioritize and practice in business?