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Video Summaries of Big Potential
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1-Page Summary of Big Potential
Do More Together
Achor points out that people are stronger in groups. He tells the story of a mangrove forest in Southeast Asia where a group of glowing lightning bugs appeared to be struck by lightning. It was actually just one mass of bioluminescent lightning bugs all glowed at once.
In the 1980s, scientists discovered that fireflies flash in unison. The reason was unclear until researchers found out that females were more attracted to males who flashed together. This is because when male fireflies flash as a group, they are not competing with each other for female attention anymore; instead, they’re perfectly spaced and positioned to attract females. Achor argues that this discovery shows us why teamwork works better than competition in business and life.
Google is a technology company that’s known for hiring the best and brightest. They wanted to figure out how to build the perfect team, so they conducted research on thousands of teams and found that there was no profile of a high-performing employee. Rather, the most successful people were those who had good social skills—they could read other people well and encourage fairness in their group. This made them better at collaborating with others to get things done.
To achieve your full potential, you need to plant “SEEDS” in yourself. These SEEDS are: 1. Surround yourself with people who influence you positively 2. Expand your power by learning to lead regardless of your position 3. Enhance your resources by praising and recognizing others 4. Defend against negative influences 5. Sustain the gains
1. Gather Positive Influencers
Positive peer pressure can be helpful in the workplace. Surround yourself with people who are creative, engaged and motivated. This will inspire you to do your best work. IBM has reversed their previous telecommuting policies because they’ve found that working together is more productive than working alone at home. To build positivity, create a “Virtuous Cycle,” or positive feedback loop, instead of a negative “vicious cycle.”
The more diverse your social circle is, the better off you’ll be. Having friends who are all just like you limits your potential and growth. Cognitive diversity is important too. Researchers used a mathematical model to measure cognitive diversity on six teams and found that the more diverse the team was, the higher their performance score was. Two of those teams failed because they didn’t have enough cognitive diversity among them; in other words, they were too alike in their thinking styles. Many firms avoid diversity initiatives because they fear conflict and friction but Achor shows through research that this isn’t true at all: having people with different backgrounds work together makes for a better outcome than if everyone has similar backgrounds or even skillsets within one group
2. Expand Your Power by Leading from Any Position
Achor believes that anyone can become a leader regardless of their position in business. Kaiser Permanente started the “I Saved A Life” program to empower non-medical staff to save lives even if they don’t have medical training. The receptionists and call center representatives saved 471 lives by recommending preventive health care options when patients called for appointments or any other reason. Drs Sanjay Marwaha and Monica Azevedo from the Permanente Medical Group started this revolutionary program, which trains support staffers to recommend diagnostic mammograms for women who have breast cancer.
Achor says that you can find meaning and leadership potential in any position, by “leading from the 11th chair.” Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, explains this idea with a story about an orchestra cellist who was discouraged because she thought only 10 other people were better than her.
