identifies important traits beyond the expected attributes such as confidence, concentration and discipline. He pinpointed four qualities shared by those who would consistently win: thinking clearly under pressure, patience, self-centredness (to not be distracted by what competitors are doing), and to work harder at all of these qualities ‘when you are playing poorly than when you are playing well'.
The argument is clear: talent is not bestowed upon anyone; it is earned by doing what others can't or won't do. Of course, as Colvin himself acknowledges, ‘Such findings do not prove that talent doesn't exist. But they do suggest that if it does, it may be irrelevant'. Quite a turnaround from the ‘talent is everything' argument!
The truth, of course, is that both of these arguments are flawed and both have merit. There are plenty of examples of talented people who have made a significant positive contribution to their business or sport, so it's easy to see why people assume that talent is important. But there are also plenty of examples of talented people who have made a significant negative contribution to their business or sport – so it's also easy to see why people say that talent is not as important as we may at first imagine.
That said, I know for a fact that I could have started playing golf in my mother's womb and I would never possess a fraction of the golfing ability consistently demonstrated by Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus or Rory McIlroy.
So what's really going on?
IDENTIFYING THE RED HERRINGS
Let's take the ‘talent is the answer' argument first. There is little doubt that some people are better at certain things than others. And that doesn't necessarily manifest as something as specific as golfing ability or leadership; it can be the way someone communicates, the way they interact with others, the way they think, or their ability to draw or describe something. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, having worked closely with thousands of individuals, that we are all wired differently. What appears easy to one person is close to impossible to another, and that rarely has anything to do with IQ. There is something going on that makes some people better suited to certain roles or tasks than others.
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