This article is the Context piece from the Book Rapper issue: Anti-Self-Help. It provides a context for the book summary of two books: Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and Geoff Colvin’s Talent is Overrated.
This was an appropriate response to the way the world had shifted. Gone were the days where financial capital was the key to buying the means to production to gain market advantage. Arrived were the days where human capital has become the key factor to create, design, implement, manage and improve upon existing products. In an era of global competition, you really do need to be world class to make it to the top. Human ability is now in high demand.
All this sounded good in theory and the McKinsey report was just that. The significance of their writings was tarnished by the collapse of Enron. They had been their number one disciple following the War For Talent message letter by letter. Rampaging egos and the demise of a workable culture ensured Enron imploded from within.
The great lessons from this fiasco were as follows:
McKinsey’s War on Talent has sparked a fresh debate. And, Book Rapper wants to point to the REAL War on Talent. It’s not limited to recruiting the best and brightest. It’s not even in the domain of the corporation. For many individuals, the window of opportunity to develop their own talent has already closed by the time they start their first job.
The REAL War on Talent is to give everyone the opportunity to be the best they can be. It all starts with good parenting. We need parents to demonstrate the value of a strong work ethic.
• We need parents to coach, support and nurture the talent within our children.
• We need our schools to further this work. And, we need a community that nourishes and supports all achievers.
• We need to fight to expose and eliminate the hidden advantages that aimlessly promote one over another.
• We need to distinguish the cultural legacies that thwart future potential.
• We need to celebrate the opportunities that are around us everyday. This includes ignoring and challenging the media that deliberately dampens our enthusiasm to serve its own ends.
• We need to promote hard work, deliberate practice and effort as desired virtues.
The REAL War on Talent starts with you right now. Who are you going to be? And, this brings us to the heart of this ‘talent’ RAP and ‘Anti-Self-Help’. Gladwell’s work shows that success is ‘social-help’, not ‘self-help’. We need others to be successful. No one does it on their own.
Also, the research from Anders Ericksson and colleagues that underpins Colvin’s push for Deliberate Practice. It contradicts the promises of many quick-fix charlatans. Did we really think we could become the person we wanted to be from a one-day seminar? Or from a short-term diet?
Ah, the delusion of life. Yes, we wanted to believe because fundamentally, we wanted a short cut to success. Who really wants to put in ten years of hard work? Who really wants to practice for 10,000 hours?
I guess the few that do, deserve to be the top performers they are!
Summary of Anti-Self-Help
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