Dig Deep To Understand
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Today's second topic is a book review of Peak – Secrets From The New Science of Expertise.
Word Count: About 1,000 words, with an approximate reading time of 4 to 5 minutes. Please share your thoughts in the comments. Please be kind and subscribe to my newsletter.
A recent article on Medium focuses on one aspect of Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. The author talks about the idea that it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice to achieve mastery in a specific field. Gladwell cites an academic study to support the 10,000-hour statement.
The study's authors acknowledge that their research did not gather much attention until Outliers was published. Their concern with the rule is that their study did not focus on the total number of hours of practice. The research looked at world-class violinists. By age twenty, they had practiced an average of 10,000 hours. At eighteen, the average was 7,400 hours. Ten thousand hours is about halfway to the total practice time at age 30.
I do not believe Gladwell intended the 10,000-hour comment to become a rule. I think he was using round numbers to make a point about dedicated practice because that is what matters. Elite athletes provide an excellent example. They practice for hours to prepare for the match. After the match, the best watch film. Their coaches use fill sessions to help the players understand what they noticed during the match. What did they choose to do? What mistakes were made? What could they have done differently? The following practice sessions focus on making improvements.
Outliers is just one of several excellent books written by Mr. Gladwell. You will find a link to buy your copy of Outliers on my recommended reading page. Today’s second topic is a review of Peak, the book written by the authors of the study Gladwell cited to create the 10,000-hour rule.
Review: Peak – Secrets From The New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool
We often marvel at people who have a gift. We can look at elite athletes and are amazed at their ability to drive a golf ball 300 yeads or hit a 100-mile-per-hour fastball. We think they were born with something special, which is true in some ways. Each of us has unique abilities and attributes.
Ericsson’s and Pool’s research show that natural capabilities may not be as important as initially thought. They uncovered the reality that dedicated practice is more important than genetics in developing extraordinary skills. It takes hard work.
Purposeful practice enables us to harness our abilities and adapt to new challenges and situations. Peak provides wide-ranging examples that demonstrate this capability. They include Top Gun flight training, blindfolded chess masters, and classical violinists. These examples share approaches to developing deliberate practice on the job and in everyday life.
You will find a link to buy your copy of Peak on my recommended reading page.
Chips and Salsa: Snack-sized news and posts
We must learn that we cannot control nature; we must flow with it. A hundred years ago, a lake was drained to create farmland. Nature had decided it wants a lake.
Guard your digital life. Hackers are always looking for new inroads.
Insider - A Hacker Stole My Life
An update on the recent 4-day workweek study.
BBC - Not all firms in the UK pilot are embracing a 4-day workweek
Sit up, straight people!
Axios - The importance of good posture
Understanding how others perceive you is critical to good communication.
Quotes
“First, I prepare. Then I have faith.”
- Joe Namath
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
- Colin Powell
You can order The Leader With A Thousand Faces on the Recommended Reading Page of my website.
My goal is to make this newsletter as interesting and valuable as possible. Please share your thoughts and suggestions for improvement. If there are specific topics in leadership you would like me to focus on in future issues, please send them my way.
