A while ago, we wrote a New York Times Magazine column about talent — what it is, how it’s acquired, etc. The gist of the column was that “raw talent,” as it’s often called, is vastly overrated, and that people who become very good at something, whether it’s sports, music, or medicine, generally do so through a great deal of “deliberate practice,” a phrase used by the Florida State psychologist Anders Ericsson and his merry band of fellow scholars who study expert performers in many fields.
As we wrote, there are at least three key elements to deliberate practice:
1. Setting specific goals.
2. Obtaining immediate feedback.
3. Concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.
I thought of No. 3 the other day while reading an article about a young baseball pitcher from Lubbock, Tex., Garrett Williams, who in a Little League World Series game struck out all 17 of the batters that he retired. Only a pitch-count rule prevented him from facing and potentially striking out all 18 batters (Little League games are 6 innings long). When asked if he was aware of his strikeout count, here’s what Williams told the reporter:
“No sir, I don’t worry about stuff like that … I just concentrate on the mitt and try to get the batter out.”
Sounds like Williams depends on more than just “raw talent.” This probably bodes well for his potential as a baseball player. I haven’t seen any data on the subject except for this, but from everything I’ve read and heard, there doesn’t seem to be a strong correlation between success in Little League and success in the majors. Kids who are big and strong and fast are likely to do well at a young age; but it’s the kids who engage in deliberate practice who are likely to make a career of it. So while Williams may be just another “talented” 12-year-old, he also sounds like the kind of kid who turns into Roger Clemens.
In related news, an e-mail happened to arrive yesterday in the Freakonomics in-box from one John DePalma with a couple of interesting writings in the Anders Ericsson school of expertise: an essay by Michael Mauboussin of Legg Mason on “experts” and financial markets; and a chapter from a CIA monograph about the power and paradox of expertise.
and 
. You can also watch it on 
Dick Hayes, a cognitive psychologist at Carnegie Mellon U, has studied the nature of expertise for years. I believe he did a study looking at natural talents such as Mozart and showed that even with his gifts, he produced his best works only after years of practice.
Dick Hayes, a cognitive psychologist at Carnegie Mellon U, has studied the nature of expertise for years. I believe he did a study looking at natural talents such as Mozart and showed that even with his gifts, he produced his best works only after years of practice.
My understanding is that baseball skill arrives later than skill in other sports. Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr were hockey phenoms at a very young age; Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, probably less so. Also, wasn’t Tiger Woods showing golf genius at the age of 3, or something?
No matter how much I set specific goals, no matter how I set up for instant feedback, and no matter how much I concentrate on technique, I’ll never be one-tenth as good as Tiger Woods.
My understanding is that baseball skill arrives later than skill in other sports. Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr were hockey phenoms at a very young age; Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, probably less so. Also, wasn’t Tiger Woods showing golf genius at the age of 3, or something?
No matter how much I set specific goals, no matter how I set up for instant feedback, and no matter how much I concentrate on technique, I’ll never be one-tenth as good as Tiger Woods.
Hi Stephen,
As a CEO of different software companies, I have seen talented people. Althogh emosional intelligence has been out there for some years, I can assure you there is not enough attention at the universities about it.
Talented people (most times):
1. End up cutting corners
2. Finding short cuts
3. No getting well with their partners
This is a problem of education and values. Between nature of nourish, I will keep the latter.
Mario Ruiz
@ http://www.oursheet.com
Hi Stephen,
As a CEO of different software companies, I have seen talented people. Althogh emosional intelligence has been out there for some years, I can assure you there is not enough attention at the universities about it.
Talented people (most times):
1. End up cutting corners
2. Finding short cuts
3. No getting well with their partners
This is a problem of education and values. Between nature of nourish, I will keep the latter.
Mario Ruiz
@ http://www.oursheet.com
If there is a capacity for learning (which we recognize diminishes with age), and if that capacity is different across different functions, then a “talent” might be a strong capacity for learning in a particular area. It would show itself strongly among youth, who learn easily. As natural learning declines, those who don’t practice would stagnate, those that do practice would eventually surpass them.
Sure, if we live long enough, practice will always overcome the advantage held by a talented person. That is, unless the talented person practices too. Then you have to hope for a law of diminishing returns.
For example, the only thing keeping me from getting better at golf is practice. Tiger Woods, on the other hand, is bumping his head on the laws of physics. Look out, Tiger.
If there is a capacity for learning (which we recognize diminishes with age), and if that capacity is different across different functions, then a “talent” might be a strong capacity for learning in a particular area. It would show itself strongly among youth, who learn easily. As natural learning declines, those who don’t practice would stagnate, those that do practice would eventually surpass them.
Sure, if we live long enough, practice will always overcome the advantage held by a talented person. That is, unless the talented person practices too. Then you have to hope for a law of diminishing returns.
For example, the only thing keeping me from getting better at golf is practice. Tiger Woods, on the other hand, is bumping his head on the laws of physics. Look out, Tiger.