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Book Summary

Talent Is Overrated

15 min

Audio available

Brief Summary

The central message of Talent Is Overrated is that extraordinary performance is built, not born. Across disciplines, excellence emerges from years of deliberate practice—focused, feedback-driven effort aimed squarely at weaknesses. Talent, as commonly understood, explains far less than society assumes. What truly separates elite performers from the rest is their commitment to sustained improvement, their tolerance for discomfort, and their belief that growth is possible. By replacing a talent-based worldview with a training-based one, individuals reclaim control over their development and open the door to far higher levels of performance than they once thought achievable.

About the Author

Geoff Colvin is a business journalist, speaker, and longtime editor-at-large at Fortune magazine. He has written extensively on leadership, performance, and the future of work. Talent Is Overrated grew out of an article he wrote for Fortune that resonated strongly with readers and sparked widespread discussion about the true origins of excellence. Since its publication, Colvin has continued exploring how individuals and organizations can perform at higher levels in a rapidly changing world.

Topics

Career & Success

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