Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

How To Unleash Your Full Potential, Cultivate Character, Build Confidence & Use Hobbies To Beat Burnout with Professor Adam Grant #406

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Nov 29, 2023

Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and bestselling author, shares insights on unlocking human potential. He emphasizes that success stems from resilience and character development rather than innate talent. The discussion covers how perfectionism can hinder growth, advocating for kindness and generosity while managing burnout. Grant also highlights the importance of hobbies in rediscovering joy and balance in life. His approaches encourage redefining personal success based on growth and self-care, urging listeners to embrace their unique journeys.

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INSIGHT

Hidden Potential and Self-Doubt

Many people intuitively know they haven't reached their full potential, often due to underestimating themselves.
Judging potential by starting points, rather than growth, leads to premature self-doubt.

INSIGHT

Apples to Apples Comparison

Early advantages, like coaching or tutoring, create a skewed perception of talent.
Focus on trajectories and progress, rather than starting points, to assess potential.

INSIGHT

Character as Skill

Character, distinct from personality, is how you act on a challenging day.
It involves skills like proactivity, prosocial behavior, discipline, and determination.

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We live in a world that celebrates and rewards talent. Whether it’s gifted students, outstanding athletes or born musicians, we applaud those who get there effortlessly, instead of those who travel furthest to reach the same place. In doing so, my guest today believes we also overlook our own potential to do great things.

Adam Grant is an organisational psychologist, University of Pennsylvania professor, podcaster, and the bestselling author of multiple books. His latest book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, is a thought-provoking look at what it really takes to succeed, how to find joy in progress, and why the true measure of potential is not how high you reach, but how far you came to get there.

Adam believes that many of us rule ourselves out of learning more or trying harder because we lack self-belief and strength of character. But character, he says, is not innate – it’s a skill we can learn. If your personality is how you show up on a typical day, then character is how you show up on a hard one.

In our conversation, we discuss how every single one of us can unleash our own hidden potential. We discuss the importance of character skills such as generosity, why it’s good to be one of life’s givers, but how it can lead to burnout and threaten our potential.

We also cover perfectionism and discuss why this trait has been on the rise since the 1980s. From a fear of trying new things, to a refusal to work on your weaknesses, it’s clear that only accepting your best is a sure-fire way to limit growth.

Adam also explains why hobbies are so important for us, especially when it comes to beating burnout. We also talk about the importance of flow state and the best ways in which we can parent our children to enable them to achieve their own innate potential.

Adam’s philosophy is that confidence is a result of progress not the precursor to it. This conversation is jam packed with potential – especially if you use it as a springboard to take action.

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/406

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