What does it take to be Great?
Is there such a thing as a "natural"?
The answers are here
in a recent story in Fortune Magazine.
The bottom line is that all exceptional results
require lots of Practice, about 10 years of it
according to the story.
And that's focused practice,
not just putting in time.
Here's their System for Practice:
1. Approach each critical task with an explicit goal of getting much better at it.
2. As you do the task, focus on what's happening and why you're doing it the way you are.
3. After the task, get feedback on your performance from multiple sources. Make changes in your behavior as necessary.
4. Continually build mental models of your situation - your industry, your company, your career. Enlarge the models to encompass more factors.
5. Do those steps regularly, not sporadically. Occasional practice does not work.
Notice the feedback loop,
which is an essential ingredient for any System
if it is to react to the constantly changing environment.
On this same topic,
Calvin Coolidge said it perfectly:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not;
nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not;
the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
Of course, if you have a Passion for what you do,
Practice and Perseverance come naturally.
Consider this well...
