George Colvin Talent Is Overrated Sparknotes

When you compare a world class performer to everyone else, what creates that separation? In George Colvin's book Talent is Overrated he shares his research on what actually creates high performance. Talent and hard work did not make the cut. The difference maker would a specific type of effort called "deliberate practice." Colvin explains how great performance is based on innate talent. He shows that it is available to everyone. II.) Lesson One:
Throughout history our society viewed talent as a huge factor in the success for ourselves, families, and companies. Now researchers are saying that talent has no correlation. Large numbers of high achievers were studied and the results were compelling. Majority of the people who became exceptionally good in their field did not show early evidence of gifts. When looking at genes no correlations has been linked to particular talents. Lesson two:
Generally, the top performing companies are filled with people who scored well on standardized test. Astoundingly, the studies do not support a position that extraordinary natural general abilities are necessary for high achievement. The link between IQ and
What we usually think of practice is not the same. From the text deliberate practice is, "activity designed specifically to improve performance, often with a teacher’s help; it can be repeated a lot; feedback on results is continuously available; it’s highly demanding mentally, whether the activity is purely intellectual or heavily physical; and it isn’t much fun." It is important to know that deliberate practice is not the full explanation to high achievement. Effort plays a significant role in the success of a performer. One's surrounding environment as a child can mightily affect their opportunity to engage in deliberate practice. The fact is deliberate practice can increase one’s ability to perform at higher levels much longer than most