Angela Duckworth’s Definition of Talent Debunks Hard Work Beats Talent Adage
Angela Duckworth is a renowned professor and researcher of psychology, and author of the classic book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Her book is one of those must reads I suggest all athletes, entrepreneurs, coaches, and parents read on their quest to maximize their potential and the potential of others.
With that said, there is always a push and pull between the idea of having “grit” and “talent”. It comes down to the old adage that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
While this saying sounds good and appears to be logical, there is an ongoing debate among both experts and non-experts who disagree on how true it is. The fact is, no matter how hard an average 5′9″ athlete works, they would not be able to beat Lebron James in basketball, regardless of how lazy James is over a given time span.
Therefore, defining talent requires context. You could ask 10 people to define talent and get 10 different answers. In fact, I like to quote both Nick Saban’s definition of talent and the Gallup definition of talent, which are markedly different. Moreover, today I came across Duckworth’s definition, and I like how she describes it too. She writes:
When I say “talent,” I mean specifically the rate at which a person improves in skill. So, if you’re a really talented basketball player, you improve very quickly when compared to less talented players with equivalent practice and opportunity.
I like this definition because it quantifies talent in relation to hard work. That old adage hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard has new meaning in the context of how Duckworth defines talent. Indeed, hard work is not always an equalizer. Talent may not need to work as hard in some cases. Furthermore, those with less talent may not be able to work hard enough to close the gap.
While hard work must never be undervalued, it also must never be overvalued. Context is everything.