Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
by Geoffrey Colvin

Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek bestseller

Asked to explain why a few people truly excel, most people offer one of two answers. The first
is hard work. Yet we all know plenty of hard workers who have been doing the same job for years
or decades without becoming great. The other possibility is that the elite possess an innate
talent for excelling in their field. We assume that Mozart was born with an astounding gift for
music, and Warren Buffett carries a gene for brilliant investing. The trouble is, scientific
evidence doesn't support the notion that specific natural talents make great performers.

According to distinguished journalist Geoff Colvin, both the hard work and natural talent camps
are wrong. What really makes the difference is a highly specific kind of effort-"deliberate
practice"-that few of us pursue when we're practicing golf or piano or stockpicking. Based on
scientific research, Talent is Overrated shares the secrets of extraordinary performance and
shows how to apply these principles. It features the stories of people who achieved world-class
greatness through deliberate practice-including Benjamin Franklin, comedian Chris Rock, football
star Jerry Rice, and top CEOs Jeffrey Immelt and Steven Ballmer.
About the Author
Geoff Colvin, Fortune's senior editor at large, writes the magazine's popular column "Value Driven"
and is the author of The Upside of the Downturn. He lectures widely and is the lead moderator for
the Fortune Global Forum. He also offers daily business commentary on the CBS Radio Network.
He lives in Fairfield, Connecticut.

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