Five Keys to Brilliance: The Fuel for Genius.

I’m excited to learn that more than 3,000 visitors  have read my
post, How to be brilliant,
since last Sunday.  That post grew out of David Shenk’s new book, The
Genius in All of Us
.  It was largely focused on the research of
Anders Ericsson, the well-known father of “deliberate practice.” 

But we know that deliberate practice is hard.  It’s so hard that no
one can do it without the benefit of motivation, a lot of motivation. 
What can we do to develop that motivation?  Why is it so many of us seem
to fall apart when we face the challenges of deliberate practice?  The
answer is surprising.  Carol Dweck, the leading expert in motivation and
personality theory, has discovered that the key to growth and
perseverance is our mindset.  In more than 20 years of research, she’s
discovered that our mindset is not a minor personality quirk. 

The motivational mindset unfolds and drives every aspect of our
lives.  Long-term motivation grows out of a very basic mindset, the
growth mindset.  This is not about taking more risks or believing in
yourself.  Instead, as Dweck says, the belief (mindset) that your
qualities can be grown leads to a “host of different thoughts and
actions, taking you down an entirely different road.”  What can you do
to develop a growth or mastery-oriented mindset—so that you will face up
to your challenges rather than be overwhelmed by them?  Dweck has found
that a focus on effort, thinking about what you could do to stay on
track, and the information you can gather is the key to genius.

Here, then, are Dweck’s five keys to brilliance, the fuel for
genius.  Notice that all five keys are connected, and that the mindset
changes what we strive for and what we see as success. 

1.  The belief that effort is a positive, constructive force. 
Success is not mistake-free or always about winning.  Those are the
wrong issues.  Success is about preparation and and effort. 

2.  Development and progress are important—not just the product or
the outcome.  Undue emphasis on testing can be harmful if it conveys to
students that the whole point of school is to do well on these tests,
and if it conveys to them that how well they do sums up their
intelligence.  Jack Welch, Lou Gerstner and Anne Mulcahy are fascinating
because they transformed their companies by putting a culture of growth
and teamwork in its place.  These people talk journey, an inclusive,
learning-filled journey, rather than about their own royalty.

3.  Substantial change, stretch and growth are the business of life,
and that’s a lot of fun.  In today’s volatile business world, stretch
and growth are the key ingredients for success.  My paper, “Bluff your way into a new job,” is all about
stretch growth.  Research shows that stretch growth provides some of
the very best work opportunities.

4.  Brains can become bigger.  Challenge is good.  Daniel Coyle’s
fascinating book, The Talent Code, nails the issue: 
Greatness isn’t born.  It’s Grown.

5.  Being on a learning edge is the smart thing to do.  Gains from
occasional training or developmental experiences are useful.  But the
really smart approach to your career is staying in the learning mode all
the time.  The research shows that the more we learn, the easier and
faster we can learn.  Success in the talent age requires constant
learning.

Changing how you feel about yourself and your future liberates you to
focus on effort.  It makes motivation a part of daily living. 

In an interview, Carol Dweck summarizes the most important findings
of her research.  This is what she has to say:

What has intrigued me most in my 30 years of research is the
power of motivation.  Motivation is often more important than your
initial ability in determining whether you succeed in the long run.  In
fact, many creative geniuses were not born that way.  They were often
fairly ordinary people who became extraordinarily motivated. 

By motivation, I mean not only the desire to achieve, but
also the love of learning, the love of challenge, and the ability to
thrive on obstacles.  These are the greatest gifts. . . .

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