“Excellence is not reserved for the lucky few but can be achieved by almost all of us” — Matthew Syed

I recently completed reading the book “Bounce” by Matthew Syed. Syed is a United Kingdom table tennis champion player that has spent the last decade researching “purposeful practice”. Syed recognizes that he became a champion not because of innate talent but rather due to learning from experts, being trained by dedicated teachers and putting in a great deal of practice.

“Bounce” made me reflect on my own development and how we develop as leaders. It’s practice, not talent that counts. Many of us tend to give up when we can’t do something new. I distinctively recall giving up golf in 1996 because I was not “good” at it after playing twice. I have not played golf since. I remember facilitating my first business meeting in 1991 and leaving that meeting terrified that I would be fired for lack of talent. Was I embarrassed? Yes. Fortunately for me, I did not give up facilitating and leading meetings. I decided to practice it. Read the rest of this entry »