University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Hidden Potential
A review of

Hidden Potential

The Science of Achieving Greater Things

Adam M. Grant • Viking • 2023

You Can

by Patricia Sanders

Everyone is born with immense potential — but it often remains untapped. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant dismantles common misconceptions about what it takes to become a high achiever, and makes the case that — under the right circumstances — practically anyone can achieve their dreams.

In 1989, José Hernández applied to become a NASA astronaut — a dream he’d held since he was 10 years old. He’d done everything right. But amid fierce competition for astronaut slots, his application was rejected. Undaunted, Hernández submitted fresh applications at every opportunity, while continuing to upgrade his qualifications: He earned a pilot’s license, gained a SCUBA certification, and attained proficiency in the Russian language.

What Hernández failed to do was inform NASA that he was the son of a migrant farmer and had grown up in poverty. Only when he advanced to become a finalist in NASA’s selection process — after persevering for 10 years — did he speak during an interview about his hardships and the fact that he had had to exercise far more than the usual level of initiative, determination, and discipline to become a NASA candidate.

Comment on this review