I don’t remember exactly where I first heard about Hidden Potential, but it was likely through Adam Grant’s podcast or an interview he did. I’ve always enjoyed books about psychology and personal growth, so I decided to give this one a try.

Now, let’s dive into Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things and explore what it has to offer.

This post is part of the series Learnings from books where my goal is to share what I learned from the book that I read. It is a mixture of review and summary with a bit of my opinion and point of view. But, as reviews, these learnings can say more about me than the book itself, so I trust that you the smart reader will take it with a grain of salt.

Learnings from the book Hidden Potential

I’ve always enjoyed Adam Grant’s content, from his books to his podcasts. While Hidden Potential is a solid read, I’ve found that, like many books these days, you can grasp most of the key ideas just by listening to related podcasts or interviews. In my case, after listening to about five podcasts, I felt like I already knew most of the book’s content before even reading it. That said, there’s still valuable knowledge within its pages. In this post, I’ll share my top five takeaways from Hidden Potential.

be kind, not polite

One of the key insights I took away from the book is the difference between being kind and being polite. We often think we’re helping by being polite and avoiding uncomfortable situations, but in reality, we’re just avoiding temporary discomfort. As the book explains, “We even hesitate to tell friends they have food in their teeth. We’re confusing politeness with kindness. Being polite is withholding feedback to make someone feel good today. Being kind is being candid about how they can get better tomorrow.” It’s possible to be direct while still being considerate in how you communicate. For example, telling a friend about broccoli stuck in their teeth might feel awkward, but it’s much kinder than letting them go on without knowing.

ask for advice and not feedback

Another powerful lesson from the book is about asking for advice instead of feedback. Typically, when we ask for feedback, we focus on what went wrong in the past. But feedback often leads to criticism or praise without much guidance for the future. The author suggests asking for advice instead, as it is forward-looking and encourages more constructive, helpful coaching aimed at improving future performance.

you improve because you enjoy it, not Because you should

A recurring theme in many personal development books, including this one, is the importance of enjoying the process rather than just focusing on the outcome. The idea is that we improve not because we “should” but because we find joy in what we do. While there are many tasks we might not naturally enjoy, the key is to find ways to make the process more playful or enjoyable. This mindset shift can help us derive more pleasure from progress itself, rather than only from the result.

brainstorm is not a good approach

I’ve never been a fan of brainstorming sessions. Often, the loudest voices dominate, and people get stuck on ideas that have already been mentioned. The book suggests replacing brainstorming with brainwriting. In brainwriting, everyone generates ideas independently before discussing them as a group. This approach ensures more balanced participation and helps avoid the influence of dominant voices. It leads to more diverse and refined ideas, ultimately resulting in better outcomes.

define how well you want to do a task in advance

I’m not a perfectionist, and I understand how perfectionism can lead to problems. However, the book introduced a helpful approach to managing tasks: defining your desired level of performance in advance. For example, you might aim for a high standard, like an 8 out of 10, but also set an acceptable minimum, like a 6. This way, you know when you’ve done enough to move on. It’s about balancing ambition with practicality. You could even have judges rate your progress on a scale of 0 to 10 and then ask for their input on how to improve. This strategy helps avoid the trap of perfectionism while still encouraging progress.

Favorite quotes

These are my 5 favorite quotes from the book.

  • “Breaks are not a distraction-they’re a chance to reset attention and incubate ideas. Play is not a frivolous activity - it’s a source of joy and a path to mastery.
  • “Character is more than just having principles. It’s a learned capacity to live by your principles. Character skills equip a chronic procrastinator to meet a deadline for someone who matters deeply to them, a shy introvert to find the courage to speak out against an injustice, and the class bully to circumvent a fistfight with his teammates before a big game.”
  • “Once people saw discomfort as a mark of growth, they were motivated to stretch beyond their comfort zones.”
  • “It’s easier to overcome obstacles when we’re carrying a torch for people who matter to us. When others are counting on us, we find strength we didn’t know we had.”
  • “The best teams have the most team players — people who excel at collaborating with others.”

Other resources

This section adds extra insights, incorporating content from other sources that align with the themes of the book.

These are my learnings from the book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things written by Adam Grant. A special thanks to Vancouver Public Library (VPL) for allowing free access to the book.

Cheers.