Greatness Is Made, Not Born

Have you ever wondered how the greats of our time catapulted themselves to the top of their fields? That's the burning question I had the privilege of exploring with performance psychologist Eric Potterat and his co-author, Alan Eagle, a former senior executive at Google on my Do Good to Lead Well podcast. We discussed their recently released book, Learned Excellence, to unlock the secrets to maximizing our potential. Here are some of their transformative ideas:

Greatness is made, not born

A foundational idea of their book is that greatness is not solely the domain of those who have been born with special talents. To the contrary, excellence is a skill that can be learned and developed. Failing to recognize this undercuts our potential and almost guarantees we will not capitalize fully on our gifts.

The authors astutely highlight the critical role that mental factors play, particularly when physical capabilities are evenly matched, such as in the Olympics. While we may not be competing as elite athletes, the same principle holds in our personal and professional lives.

To further argue their case, they reference a compelling metaphor relating human potential to the hardware and software systems in a computer. While we come into life with certain hardware, how we consistently upgrade and refine our software is the difference maker when it comes to optimization of performance.

One of the most thought-provoking ideas explored in their book is the concept of a personal values credo.

What is your personal values credo?

“Most times people don't really take the time to really understand who they are.”

Being acutely aware of our values drives considerable benefits, including better decision-making, higher levels of performance, and elevated resilience. While it does not remove the pressures and challenges in our lives, it empowers us to face them more effectively.

While most people may mistakenly believe they know their values, this is surprisingly rare. The authors themselves noted their own lack of attention to this exercise and how most elite performers and clients they work with also have never sat down to map out their values credo.

For those new to the idea, a values credo is “a short statement consisting of the 10 words that define their identity. These 'identity markers' constitute the core of what you care about, enjoy, embody, and live for."

A primary goal of the credo is to move our thinking away from our reputation to our identity. It is a powerful tool that focuses our attention on who we are (which is within our control) versus being distracted by what others think of us (which is outside of our control). Releasing ourselves of that burden allows us to fully tap into our potential.

Through their extensive coaching and consulting work, with elite athletes and diverse corporate clients, they have witnessed countless examples of individuals who harnessed the power of this exercise to transcend obstacles and achieve extraordinary results. Although it may seem like a small tweak, the impact is truly profound “because for the first time… you're doubling down on what's important to you.”

An important caveat: Do not rush when crafting your personal values credo. As the authors advise, “If this is done in 30 minutes, it's done poorly. It will take a while. It should be an iterative process. and you may change some words a month or two down the line.” Enjoy the journey as you deeply explore yourself.

Conclusion

While most of us are looking for "success secrets," the most powerful ingredients lie within ourselves. Interestingly, one of the most important and often overlooked is the role of core values. When we anchor our energy and efforts into who we are and what we value, it provides the best conditions to unlock our personal and professional greatness.

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Check out the full podcast here.