Unlocking Hidden Potential S. 5 E. 64

Listen to this episode to find out why we don’t don’t see hidden potential, how you can recognize it, and what you can do to develop it. 

Show Notes: 

Episode Summary:

Do you recognize potential in yourself?  Do you see it others- your family members or friends or students?  One of the highest callings in teaching is to see potential in our students, and then both help them see it, and help them develop it. Today we are unlocking hidden potential- what it is, how to find it, and how to nurture it.

What is potential?

We often think of potential as gifts, strengths or talents. In a broader sense, it is also the ability to learn, grow and purse an idea or activity. Potential is also the ability to persevere and rise despite challenges and obstacles.

We all have potential, whether it is recognized or not recognized.

What is hidden potential?

The obvious answer is that hidden potential is untapped potential. We don’t see it ourselves, or others don’t see it in us.

Why would potential be hidden?

• We haven’t had the environment to explore or develop a talent.Think of opportunities for kids whose families travel, or attend museums and concerts.  Then think of families who don’t do those kinds of things. It is far more difficult to become gifted at art if you haven’t been exposed to it.
• People have a limited view of talents- they look for signs of genius, and that is just one picture of potential. We are far more likely to develop skills and talents than be born with them.
• Potential is often disguised as work- when people work hard, overcome challenges, are responsible and persevere, they are often fulfilling potential- but we may not see the work behind the achievement or recognize it as any special.

What are some ways of recognizing potential- whether in ourselves or others?

1.Look at strengths, gifts, talents and passions.

This might actually look different that the obvious things most people think of- he’s good at math or she excels in writing.

Psychologist Martin Seligman has created a list of 24 traits that he thinks are reflective of our thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  These traits are divided into categories such as wisdom, creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning and perspective.

They include things such as bravery, kindness, social intelligence, leadership, teamwork, self-regulation and humor.

Basically, we need to expand our understanding of what it means to have gifts or talents.  If you don’t recognize leadership as a gift, you shut down the child who is taking charge and expressing their thoughts- especially if they disagree with yours.

For example, you probably know the adage that a bossy young girl is probably demonstrating leadership skills.

What about the child who is incredibly curious?  The child constantly asks questions and demands to know more, or protests having to stop doing an activity.  That is actually a gift, and a sign of intelligence, love of learning and seeking to know more about how the world works.  Yet it might not be considered potential.

2. Look for signs that someone is extremely perceptive. This might be a child who appears wise beyond his years, or a person who is a big picture thinker.  They see patterns in the world, or see many ways to solve a problem.

3. Don’t fall for the trap that potential is being a genius early in life. We think of kids who are highly gifted athletes, or musicians or artists when they are young. For example, think of 8 year old Mozart composing songs and play in concert halls around the world,  or the six year old who beats most adults at chess. Those people exist, but genius is not common. Most of us are not superstars.  However, skill is more often built that born in!

4. Potential is highly connected to character traits. Teachers understand the power of building character traits, and it has traditionally been a part of schooling. The ability to work hard, to overcome challenges, resilience, emotional intelligence, self-regulation-all of these things are signs of potential that is developed. Teachers know this and try to build these skills, but there is a movement today to abandon anything having to do with such soft skills.

According to Adam Grant, in his book: Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things,

“ When we admire great thinkers, doers and leaders, we often focus narrowly on their performance. That leads us to elevate the people who have accomplished the most and overlook the ones who have achieved the most with the least. The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.”

What can we do to develop potential?

The good news is that you are probably already doing many of these things!

• Encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating learning- and trying and growing and even failing. The word FAIL can be interpreted as First Attempt in Learning. This may mean altering grading procedures that only focus on the end result.
• Find opportunities to try new things. Expose yourself and the students you work with to things they may not have experienced. Not everything you experience will be of interest- or stick, and that’s okay.
• Provide opportunities for challenge. This is hard for many adults- we don’t want to go out of our comfort zone. But you won’t know what you can do until you try. You might even surprise yourself. Challenging pursuits are an opportunity to practice those essential character traits such as persistence and resilience.
• Remember that potential is not always connected to a career. It might be in developing a life-long hobby or interest. Potential is also developed as a part of being in a community with others- in social interactions and group activities.

 Conclusion:

We leave you today with a suggestion for a short video- and if you haven’t seen this one, be prepared and grab a tissue. You can find the video Be a Mr. Jenson on You Tube, and it is a short video of a teacher who recognizes potential in a student and how he changes that student’s life forever.  We love this video because it shows the power a teacher has to both see potential in their students, and to help students develop that potential.

Recap:

We love the possibility of developing potential. When you understand what potential is, recognize how it is often hidden, and realize that there are ways you can help develop hidden potential, you will be one of those people who go beyond just teaching or just helping someone one and into the realm of helping others in life-changing ways. You will recognize that helping to develop potential is one of the most rewarding parts of your job as an educator and that it helps you achieve your own highest potential.

Quote:

“ When we admire great thinkers, doers and leaders, we often focus narrowly on their performance. That leads us to elevate the people who have accomplished the most and overlook the ones who have achieved the most with the least. The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there”  (p. 18)

Adam Grant

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Martin Seligman 24 Signature Strengths

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