How teamwork and soft skills unlock talent in the company
The idea that talent is an innate gift is widespread, but often hides a more complex reality of commitment, supportive environment and strategic relationships
by Luca Brambilla* and Francesco Guidara**
Micheal Jackson, Usain Bolt, Pablo Picasso, Steve Jobs. What do these characters have in common? They are universally regarded as talents. It is undeniable: contemporary society is fascinated by the idea of innate talent. Whether in work, sport, music or school, there is a widespread belief that certain talents are natural, creating an imaginary gap between geniuses who are 'blessed by fate' (and to whom everything seems easy) and ordinary individuals who have to simply accept a less fortunate condition.
This philosophy, however, overlooks the effort, dedication and perseverance that often lie behind an apparently only talented profile and creates an alibi that leads one to overlook one's own potential.
Beyond the myth of 'child prodigies'
In the bookThe Hidden Potential (Egea, 2024) Adam Grant dismantles the rhetoric of 'gift'. Instead, the American researcher and academic focuses on people's unexpressed capacities. The studies he has put together say that the level of salary does not correlate with performance in the early school years, but rather with the student's ability to improve over time.
This false myth is also reflected in the behaviour of companies themselves, where tools for assessing people's potential are often lacking. Even a structured organisation like NASA selects astronauts and engineers by tending to privilege current performance and neglecting both the growth path and the so-called 'chance of redemption'. A logic that, Grant again reminds us, also closely touches the world of chess. The unbeatable masters of 'horse and queen' were not necessarily child prodigies: what really makes the difference is the quality of the learning environment, thanks to capable coaches, continuous feedback and lots of practice.
In other words - as already observed by the populariser and sociologist Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers (Penguin, 2009) - success cannot be attributed to luck or innate talent alone, but rather to the way each person reacts to the opportunities and challenges that life presents him or her.
