WEBVTT 1 00:00:09.367 --> 00:00:10.286 Hi there. 2 00:00:10.286 --> 00:00:11.850 It's good to see you. 3 00:00:11.850 --> 00:00:15.680 In this session you'll learn about what predicts success. 4 00:00:15.680 --> 00:00:18.410 And I'm going to begin the session with a little quiz. 5 00:00:19.790 --> 00:00:24.120 Now how much of your success, and let's say salaries and 6 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:29.620 promotion, is predicted by your IQ, your Intelligence quotient. 7 00:00:29.620 --> 00:00:35.230 For our purposes we'll use IQ to mean how well you do on standardized 8 00:00:35.230 --> 00:00:40.180 tests of intelligence, and let's assume you're somewhere in the normal range of 9 00:00:40.180 --> 00:00:46.180 intelligence, and let's even assume that you're on the high end of intelligence. 10 00:00:46.180 --> 00:00:51.152 So again, how much of your success, let's say salary and 11 00:00:51.152 --> 00:00:54.509 promotions, is predicted by your IQ? 12 00:00:54.509 --> 00:01:00.794 75- 100%, 50- 74%, 13 00:01:00.794 --> 00:01:06.879 25- 49%, or below 25%. 14 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:11.090 The correct answer is D, below 25%. 15 00:01:11.090 --> 00:01:13.160 Researcher Robert Sternberg, 16 00:01:13.160 --> 00:01:18.223 one of the world's most renowned experts on the link between intelligence and 17 00:01:18.223 --> 00:01:23.361 success in life, found that IQ as assessed conventional standardized tests, 18 00:01:23.361 --> 00:01:27.732 predicts only between four to 25% of people's success in life, 19 00:01:27.732 --> 00:01:32.890 assuming they're somewhere in the normal, even high range of intelligence. 20 00:01:32.890 --> 00:01:36.897 As Sternberg says, that's scarcely something to write home about. 21 00:01:36.897 --> 00:01:41.029 So why isn't IQ a powerful predictor of long-term success? 22 00:01:42.190 --> 00:01:45.390 Sternberg says that people often assume 23 00:01:45.390 --> 00:01:49.590 that being smart is the same thing as being intelligent. 24 00:01:49.590 --> 00:01:53.930 And they define intelligence as how well people do on standardized tests and 25 00:01:53.930 --> 00:01:56.060 grades in school. 26 00:01:56.060 --> 00:02:01.600 Now IQ tests tend to focus on analytical skills, also known as book smarts. 27 00:02:01.600 --> 00:02:05.650 Although book smarts may help us get high grades in school, book smarts 28 00:02:05.650 --> 00:02:09.970 aren't the only kind of smarts we need to succeed in a complex, ambiguous, 29 00:02:09.970 --> 00:02:14.510 and ever-changing world, in which real problems are often hard to define. 30 00:02:14.510 --> 00:02:17.540 The one best answer doesn't always exist, and 31 00:02:17.540 --> 00:02:21.160 we need the support of others to accomplish our goals. 32 00:02:21.160 --> 00:02:23.560 We also need flexibility, creativity, and 33 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:28.220 the willingness to take calculated risks, and invest in life long learning. 34 00:02:28.220 --> 00:02:32.320 We need to be able to inspire others, influence others, and 35 00:02:32.320 --> 00:02:35.230 develop mutually supportive relationships. 36 00:02:35.230 --> 00:02:36.900 And we need to be dependable, 37 00:02:36.900 --> 00:02:40.030 because other people count on us to achieve their goals as well. 38 00:02:41.050 --> 00:02:44.080 And we need to be able to manage stress and be persistent and 39 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:47.640 resilient, especially in the face of hurdles and failures. 40 00:02:48.930 --> 00:02:51.850 Finally we need to know when to cut our losses and 41 00:02:51.850 --> 00:02:55.440 find opportunities that are better aligned with our values and life goals. 42 00:02:57.830 --> 00:03:01.230 This explains why some people who excel in school 43 00:03:01.230 --> 00:03:03.850 never achieve their goals after they graduate. 44 00:03:03.850 --> 00:03:07.340 And why some people who are mediocre students achieve or 45 00:03:07.340 --> 00:03:08.680 even exceed their goals. 46 00:03:09.980 --> 00:03:14.630 I'm not saying here that analytical skills aren't important to your success. 47 00:03:14.630 --> 00:03:17.290 The ability to think clearly and logically, 48 00:03:17.290 --> 00:03:20.860 being able to see the different parts of complex problems and 49 00:03:20.860 --> 00:03:24.430 how these parts fit together, being able to see patterns and 50 00:03:24.430 --> 00:03:29.051 solve problems in a systematic way using evidence in order to make decisions, 51 00:03:29.051 --> 00:03:32.903 and being able to communicate the steps you take to understand and 52 00:03:32.903 --> 00:03:36.223 solve complex problems certainly matter a lot in life. 53 00:03:36.223 --> 00:03:42.150 But analytical skills, as measured by standardized tests of analytical ability, 54 00:03:42.150 --> 00:03:46.832 will not be enough to help you achieve the success that you desire. 55 00:03:46.832 --> 00:03:53.630 Now people often ask me whether IQ is something that is wired in at birth. 56 00:03:53.630 --> 00:03:57.380 Well the answer is complicated, because researchers have been debating this for 57 00:03:57.380 --> 00:03:58.240 a long time. 58 00:03:59.390 --> 00:04:02.410 Many researchers argue that IQ is innate. 59 00:04:02.410 --> 00:04:06.100 But many other researchers believe that a person's IQ can change 60 00:04:06.100 --> 00:04:09.890 certainly up to a point through supportive environments and practice. 61 00:04:10.980 --> 00:04:15.900 Researchers have found that a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment 62 00:04:15.900 --> 00:04:21.650 can result in a 12 to 18 point difference in IQ scores for some people. 63 00:04:21.650 --> 00:04:26.320 Now this increase in points can move someone from being categorized from low to 64 00:04:26.320 --> 00:04:30.860 average intelligence, or from average to above average intelligence. 65 00:04:30.860 --> 00:04:36.270 Some researchers have found that for each year that a student misses in school, 66 00:04:36.270 --> 00:04:39.470 their IQ scores decline about six points. 67 00:04:41.300 --> 00:04:44.131 I have a personal story related to this. 68 00:04:44.131 --> 00:04:46.969 MBA programs typically require that students take 69 00:04:46.969 --> 00:04:50.797 the Graduate Management Admissions Test that's designed to assess 70 00:04:50.797 --> 00:04:52.777 a variety of verbal, writing, and 71 00:04:52.777 --> 00:04:57.440 analytical skills believed to be relevant to success in business. 72 00:04:57.440 --> 00:05:00.340 These skills include analytical writing and 73 00:05:00.340 --> 00:05:06.140 problem solving as well as skills in data analysis, logic, and critical reasoning. 74 00:05:06.140 --> 00:05:11.530 When I was applying for admission to MBA programs, I took the GMAT test twice. 75 00:05:11.530 --> 00:05:16.930 The first time I didn't do very well and in fact not very well at all. 76 00:05:16.930 --> 00:05:21.030 And my college counselor told me that I should forget about getting an MBA. 77 00:05:21.030 --> 00:05:23.680 And he'd be happy to hear now how my life turned out. 78 00:05:24.710 --> 00:05:29.570 Thankfully, instead of believing him, I bought a GMAT preparation book, and 79 00:05:29.570 --> 00:05:33.390 that was before the Internet, that had hundreds of questions, and 80 00:05:33.390 --> 00:05:36.740 I studied from that book every night. 81 00:05:36.740 --> 00:05:39.690 I answered every question in that book. 82 00:05:39.690 --> 00:05:42.930 I identified which questions I got wrong. 83 00:05:42.930 --> 00:05:46.150 And I figured out why I got those questions wrong. 84 00:05:46.150 --> 00:05:49.840 And then I take the practice test over and over again. 85 00:05:50.880 --> 00:05:55.780 And when I took the official GMAT test again, my score went up quite a bit, 86 00:05:55.780 --> 00:06:00.170 enough to help me get into the MBA program I wanted to join at the University of 87 00:06:00.170 --> 00:06:04.110 Massachusetts Amherst, and eventually into the Yale PhD Program. 88 00:06:05.990 --> 00:06:10.310 Now that's a photo of me after my graduation from the MBA program. 89 00:06:10.310 --> 00:06:13.910 And who knows where I'd be today if I had listened to that college counselor. 90 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:19.720 Now, I'm not saying that studying for tests of scholastic achievement will 91 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:24.040 always improve someone's grades, but it does for many people. 92 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:26.960 My point is that you may have more control 93 00:06:26.960 --> 00:06:30.030 over assessments of your analytic abilities than you think. 94 00:06:31.490 --> 00:06:35.220 Jumping into the middle of a debate about whether IQ and 95 00:06:35.220 --> 00:06:41.150 analytical abilities are innate may be entertaining and they may be interesting. 96 00:06:41.150 --> 00:06:43.330 But it won't help you in your quest for success? 97 00:06:44.340 --> 00:06:45.060 How do I know that? 98 00:06:46.470 --> 00:06:50.290 Because Stanford professor of psychology Carol Dweck and 99 00:06:50.290 --> 00:06:55.200 her colleagues have shown that you're more likely to achieve your life goals if you 100 00:06:55.200 --> 00:07:00.520 believe your intelligence, talents, and personality are fluid, which means 101 00:07:00.520 --> 00:07:05.780 changeable with effort rather than fixed which means innate and unchangeable. 102 00:07:07.380 --> 00:07:09.980 You'll learn more about the power beliefs have 103 00:07:09.980 --> 00:07:12.350 in predicting your success later in this course. 104 00:07:13.910 --> 00:07:18.101 So if IQ isn't as strong a predictor of success as many 105 00:07:18.101 --> 00:07:22.212 people assume it is then what about natural talent? 106 00:07:22.212 --> 00:07:25.736 Do you find yourself saying she's a natural leader or 107 00:07:25.736 --> 00:07:28.460 he's a natural communicator? 108 00:07:28.460 --> 00:07:34.710 Do you ever say things like I'm not a people person or I'm not a numbers person? 109 00:07:34.710 --> 00:07:39.510 If so, you're showing one of the most common biases people have and 110 00:07:39.510 --> 00:07:43.100 one that can hold you back from achieving the success that you desire. 111 00:07:45.010 --> 00:07:49.560 One of the most important lessons to take from this course is that believing 112 00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:53.340 in the idea that there are born leaders, natural talents, and 113 00:07:53.340 --> 00:07:57.780 overnight successes can hold you back from achieving your goals. 114 00:07:57.780 --> 00:08:02.360 Because theses beliefs can hold you back from putting in the years of dedicated 115 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:08.240 time and effort that it takes to become successful in whatever you choose to do. 116 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:14.010 Now what looks like natural talent is usually the result of years of mindful, 117 00:08:14.010 --> 00:08:15.660 deliberate practice. 118 00:08:17.180 --> 00:08:18.720 Consider the following example. 119 00:08:19.790 --> 00:08:23.890 Tennis champion Serena Williams, who has won four Olympic gold medals, 120 00:08:23.890 --> 00:08:27.720 is often portrayed as being a natural athlete. 121 00:08:27.720 --> 00:08:31.770 We don't know if she was born with any innate, athletic advantages. 122 00:08:31.770 --> 00:08:36.711 But we do know that she started playing tennis when she was only three years old, 123 00:08:36.711 --> 00:08:40.991 when her family moved to Compton, California to begin Serena's and 124 00:08:40.991 --> 00:08:44.311 her sister Venus', another world class champion, 125 00:08:44.311 --> 00:08:46.568 their tennis training in earnest. 126 00:08:46.568 --> 00:08:49.670 The family moved several times to give their daughters the best 127 00:08:49.670 --> 00:08:51.280 coaching available. 128 00:08:51.280 --> 00:08:55.810 Serena endured several loses and injuries throughout her career. 129 00:08:55.810 --> 00:09:00.660 By the time she was seen as an overnight success, she had invested over 15 130 00:09:00.660 --> 00:09:04.659 years into becoming one of the most accomplished tennis players in the world. 131 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:10.270 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, whose impassioned speeches 132 00:09:10.270 --> 00:09:14.780 inspired the United Kingdom during the darkest days of World War II, 133 00:09:14.780 --> 00:09:19.420 is considered to be one of the greatest orators of the 20th century. 134 00:09:19.420 --> 00:09:23.430 Yet for years he worked hard to overcome a speech impediment. 135 00:09:23.430 --> 00:09:25.530 He practiced his speeches over and 136 00:09:25.530 --> 00:09:29.660 over again until they seem to flow effortlessly. 137 00:09:29.660 --> 00:09:33.810 Churchill sometimes even used his speech impediment to his advantage 138 00:09:33.810 --> 00:09:38.500 by deliberately inserting long pauses in his speeches for emphasis. 139 00:09:39.890 --> 00:09:44.600 Actor James Earl Jones, the famous voice of Star Wars' Darth Vader, 140 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:48.880 overcame a childhood stutter to become one of the media's most powerful and 141 00:09:48.880 --> 00:09:49.840 memorable voices. 142 00:09:50.930 --> 00:09:55.050 In an interview, Jones said that he said his difficulty speaking when he was 143 00:09:55.050 --> 00:09:59.750 a child helped him become a particularly good listener throughout his life. 144 00:09:59.750 --> 00:10:03.760 He credits his high school teachers' efforts to help him overcome his stutter 145 00:10:03.760 --> 00:10:07.910 by repeatedly encouraging him to recite poetry in class 146 00:10:07.910 --> 00:10:10.670 as the first step along his path to becoming an actor. 147 00:10:12.140 --> 00:10:15.240 The Beatles, the best selling rock band in history, 148 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:19.440 was an immediate sensation in the US when they made their television debut 149 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:23.410 on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th, 1964. 150 00:10:23.410 --> 00:10:28.070 An unprecedented 73 million people watched them, and 151 00:10:28.070 --> 00:10:33.330 that evening's Ed Sullivan Show became the highest rated TV show ever at that time. 152 00:10:34.430 --> 00:10:38.249 What is less known is that the band practiced throughout Europe for 153 00:10:38.249 --> 00:10:41.385 several years, including two years in German bars for 154 00:10:41.385 --> 00:10:45.770 eight hours a day before they became what seemed to be an overnight success. 155 00:10:45.770 --> 00:10:50.015 The band had played in over 1200 concerts by the time they reached 156 00:10:50.015 --> 00:10:51.413 the Ed Sullivan Show. 157 00:10:51.413 --> 00:10:56.308 Now natural born geniuses and overnight successes may exist but 158 00:10:56.308 --> 00:10:59.570 they are few and far between. 159 00:10:59.570 --> 00:11:02.510 Most successful people develop their talents and 160 00:11:02.510 --> 00:11:05.360 earn their successes day by day, 161 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:11.390 play by play while enduring roadblocks, mistakes, and failures along the way. 162 00:11:11.390 --> 00:11:15.320 Certainly some people are born with advantages, physical size for 163 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:21.020 jockeys, height for basketball players, or an ear for music for musicians. 164 00:11:21.020 --> 00:11:24.560 We are after all not all born the same, yet 165 00:11:24.560 --> 00:11:29.590 only dedication to mindful deliberate practice over many years 166 00:11:29.590 --> 00:11:35.100 can turn those advantages into talents and those talents into successes. 167 00:11:35.100 --> 00:11:38.180 So even though you may feel that you weren't born with a talent for 168 00:11:38.180 --> 00:11:42.650 math you can significantly increase your mathematical abilities through such 169 00:11:42.650 --> 00:11:48.220 mindful, deliberate practice, or if you consider yourself naturally shy, 170 00:11:48.220 --> 00:11:51.840 putting in the time and effort into developing your social skills 171 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:57.260 can enable you to interact with people at social occasions with grace and with ease. 172 00:11:57.260 --> 00:12:02.026 Now listen to what Michael Jordan, one of the most awarded basketball players of 173 00:12:02.026 --> 00:12:06.733 all time, has to say about natural talent versus hard work in this short video. 174 00:12:10.064 --> 00:12:12.114 >> Maybe it's my own fault. 175 00:12:12.114 --> 00:12:17.312 Maybe I led you to believe it was easy when it wasn't. 176 00:12:17.312 --> 00:12:20.817 Maybe I made you think my highlight started at the free throw line, 177 00:12:20.817 --> 00:12:21.828 and not in the gym. 178 00:12:21.828 --> 00:12:23.739 [MUSIC] 179 00:12:23.739 --> 00:12:26.682 Maybe I made you think that every shot I took was a game winner. 180 00:12:26.682 --> 00:12:29.259 [MUSIC] 181 00:12:29.259 --> 00:12:32.292 That my game was built on flash, and not fire. 182 00:12:32.292 --> 00:12:34.888 [MUSIC] 183 00:12:34.888 --> 00:12:38.975 Maybe it's my fault that you didn't see that failure gave me strength, 184 00:12:38.975 --> 00:12:40.857 that my pain was not motivation. 185 00:12:40.857 --> 00:12:42.854 [MUSIC] 186 00:12:42.854 --> 00:12:47.459 Maybe I led you to believe that basketball was a God-given gift, 187 00:12:47.459 --> 00:12:51.579 and not something I worked for every single day of my life. 188 00:12:51.579 --> 00:12:55.319 [MUSIC] 189 00:12:55.319 --> 00:12:56.888 Maybe I destroyed the game. 190 00:12:56.888 --> 00:13:00.120 [MUSIC] 191 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.368 Or maybe you're just making excuses. 192 00:13:03.368 --> 00:13:08.825 [MUSIC] 193 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:15.023 >> Note that Jordan also created a sustainable career that brought him 194 00:13:15.023 --> 00:13:20.470 outstanding success beyond his years as a professional basketball player. 195 00:13:20.470 --> 00:13:25.060 Through his business acumen, he's now one of the highest paid sports celebrities 196 00:13:25.060 --> 00:13:30.390 in the world, and he was the first NBA basketball player to become a billionaire. 197 00:13:30.390 --> 00:13:32.270 Now what I want you to remember is this. 198 00:13:33.290 --> 00:13:37.329 First, analytical intelligence, although important, 199 00:13:37.329 --> 00:13:39.680 is only one predictor of success. 200 00:13:39.680 --> 00:13:44.672 Second, you can increase your analytical intelligence as well as many other skills 201 00:13:44.672 --> 00:13:48.938 that are central to your success through devoted practice. 202 00:13:48.938 --> 00:13:52.060 And third, over-relying on intelligence 203 00:13:52.060 --> 00:13:55.830 can prevent you from learning other talents that are equally and 204 00:13:55.830 --> 00:14:00.320 sometimes more important to your success and well-being in life. 205 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:03.180 So if analytical abilities aren't enough, and 206 00:14:03.180 --> 00:14:07.410 if natural talent isn't enough, what does predict success? 207 00:14:08.800 --> 00:14:13.732 Researchers have found that successful people develop beliefs that 208 00:14:13.732 --> 00:14:17.226 propel them forward rather than hold them back. 209 00:14:17.226 --> 00:14:20.757 They develop an expertise that is meaningful to them, and 210 00:14:20.757 --> 00:14:23.128 that matters to others. 211 00:14:23.128 --> 00:14:27.121 They are self-motivated to achieve their goals and they move steadily 212 00:14:27.121 --> 00:14:30.925 toward their goals despite the inevitable failures and setbacks. 213 00:14:30.925 --> 00:14:34.530 And they do so by being conscientious and gritty. 214 00:14:34.530 --> 00:14:38.900 And they develop mutually supportive relationships through which they give and 215 00:14:38.900 --> 00:14:43.809 get resources that are necessary to their success and to the success of others. 216 00:14:44.940 --> 00:14:49.030 I will discuss each of these strategies for success throughout this course, and 217 00:14:49.030 --> 00:14:54.240 I will provide you with insights from decades of research as well as ideas. 218 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:56.340 And I hope the inspiration for 219 00:14:56.340 --> 00:14:59.460 implementing these strategies in your own life. 220 00:14:59.460 --> 00:15:00.340 Thank you for listening.