The Talent Code is a really neat book that examines booms in talent across history in different parts of the world. Author Daniel Coyle goes all in, traveling to different parts of the world on his quest discover what makes talent (the talent code).

In today’s reading, he cites two examples of past studies and the implications that lie therein. The first study examined a group of people who were worthy of “1/2 page dedicated to them in Encyclopedia Britannica”, and the other group was comprised of former world-record holders in sprinting.

Both studies found the same conclusion: sacrifice can lead to drive and motivation when channeled correctly. The Encyclopedia group found that the vast majority of its members had lost parents at a young age, while the speedy group found that, on average, they were the youngest (or close to) sibling in their multi-sibling family.

Sacrifice, while sometimes controllable and sometimes non-controllable, can be used constructively to keep you focused and grounded. Sometimes, ‘not having’ can be the spark you need to ‘having.’

Simple? No. Simple enough to understand the point? Yes.

In today’s AM Excellence, I dive deeper into sacrifice, motivation and understanding the power we have in leadership positions. Listen here.

Spaniard