Talent Is Overrated - Free Book Review Sample

Introduction

“Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else” by Geoff Colvin is an exciting book that contains practical discussions about hard work and talent. As the author stated in the book, people often believe that they will automatically achieve great performance when they work hard. Colvin contends this notion by affirming that innate abilities and practice are the critical elements to satisfactory performance. In the book, he outlines his arguments by providing real-life examples in actual organizations. As he contended in his book, organizations value people’s talent as they believe it is the key to organizational success. The book, which has eleven chapters, is meant for parents, leaders, entrepreneurs, sportspeople, students, coaches, and teachers. This paper focuses on h summary of the first four chapters of the book. In chapters one through four of the book, Colvin argued that outstanding performance is not a result of hard work and natural talent, but through deliberate practice and innate abilities.

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Chapter One

In chapter one of the book titled “the mystery,” Colvin discusses great performance. He begins the chapter by providing the working experience of two young men, Jeffrey Immelt and Steven Ballmer, at Procter & Gamble headquarters in Cincinnati, where they spent time writing memos instead of selling Duncan Hines brownie mix. According to Colvin, the two young men are now CEOs of big companies. In the chapter, he poses the question; was it talent or brains that enabled the men to achieve great performance? Drawing his conclusions on extensive research, Colvin revealed that talent could not be the cause of great performance. According to him, people who attribute talent to great performance often have difficulty demonstrating that natural gifts can help someone attain great performance. Colvin asked readers some rhetorical questions of why people work for many years in the same job setting and do not achieve exemplary performance. He refers to the puzzling question as a mystery. Citing research, Colvin indicated that managers with experience are not likely to produce high outcomes. He talked about people who have managed to achieve success and have low intelligence quotients (IQs). According to him, whatever makes people achieve great performance is not talent. Rather, it is what researchers call deliberate practice. As he explained, deliberate practice is the incorporation of skills and assets, as well as knowing what needs to be done, to achieve great performance. He concludes the chapter by asserting that outstanding performance is achieved when someone understands their innate self.

Chapter Two

In chapter two of the book, titled “talent is overrated,” Colvin discussed innate abilities and how people can confront them. He provides a research of accomplished musicians, which revealed that their skills do not equate the time they spend practicing. Also, Colvin indicated that, according to researchers, there are few signs of achievement before people begin intensive training. Colvin stated that if the research is accurate, then it means that if talent does exist, then it is irrelevant. He also provided an example of genomics, where he stated that there has never been research to associated a particular gene to talent. He asserted that thousands of research have failed to show any connection between genetics and excellent performance. In the chapter, he went ahead to provide examples of people like Tiger Woods and Mozart, who did not have talent, but were pushed by parents who wanted their children to succeed. He additionally talked about the business sector, which contains great achievers who did not show a promising future when they were young. He provided examples of Bill Gates and Jack Welch, who had no talent and had no inclination towards business. He emphasized that comprehending the reality of talent is significant. In the chapter, he also agreed that talent exists, but it does not equate great performance. He concludes the chapter by indicating that the central role of talent in achieving high performance is weak.

Chapter Three

In chapter three of the book, titled “how smart do you have to be,” Colvin discussed ways memory and intelligence play a role in high achievement. Colvin asserted that from various studies, there is no correlation between IQ and accomplishment. On his description of what being smart means, Colvin provides an example of GE, which looks for leaders who exhibit behaviors such as confidence, imagination, clear thinking, decisiveness, and the ability to energize others and execute. In his further analysis, Colvin indicated that an individual does have to be smart to perform well. He discussed the realm of chess, where he stated that most chess players have below average intelligence, yet they excel in the sport. From his assertion, IQ predicts nothing about great performance. In the discussion about memory, the author asserted that memory is developed and not innate. In the chapter, he agreed that memory could make someone be accomplished, but arguing that memory is a natural gift is unjustified. He indicated that it is frustrating when people believe that they cannot achieve success because they were not born with certain qualities. Through his extensive research, Colvin found that experience, inborn abilities, and general abilities like memory and intelligence do not cause success. He concludes the chapter by posing that if those three things do not drive great performance, what does?

Chapter Four

In chapter four of the book titled “a better idea,” Colvin explains the sensibility of great performance. He began the chapter by discussing the life of Jerry Rice and his football prowess. Colvin stated that many people have always wondered what makes Rice so good. As he indicated, many people believed that Rice excelled in football because he worked hard. However, from his research, Colvin stated that hard work does not result in extraordinary performance. He talked about practice, where people do the same thing over again to achieve better results. In his mind, people who need to achieve more significant performance practice. Colvin asks that if practice makes perfect, then why is that some people are better than others? He answered the question by indicating that total practice makes people achieve more than others. He affirmed that as an abundance of evidence shows, people can keep getting better long after they should have reached their natural limits. The better idea that Colvin discusses in the chapter is deliberate practice. He indicated that according to research, deliberate effort to attain performance in a particular domain makes a person achieve success. Also, he noted that in deliberate performance, talent does not play any significant role. Colvin stated that according to researchers, deliberate practice is not based on a framework of ‘practice makes better.’ He concluded that chapter by staying that teams, individuals, and organizations can achieve more extraordinary lengths through deliberate performance.

Conclusion

Overall, throughout the book’s four chapters, Colvin contended that deliberate practice and innate abilities cause great performance. From reading the book, it is agreeable that the message is liberating. The reality of great performance in organizations and individuals provides managers with principles to achieve success. Through the book’s narrative, Colvin offers recommendations that individuals from different lifestyles can adopt to improve their performance and improve the performance of their teams. Furthermore, in the captivating book, Colvin offers myriads of research-driven information derived from research and experience in organizations. The takeaway from this intriguing book is that human ability can result in great performance in the long run.