Big Potential Summary – Success Elevate Achievements

Detailed Summary

We all know that hard work pays off, and it’s the key to success. And everybody tells us this, but people don’t tell us that social interaction is also important to succeed. Shawn Achor revealed this secret of success to us in his book Big Potential.

In his book, the author has made us realize the importance of social interaction and connections through the story of two students who joined Harvard. Both of them were intelligent and hardworking but had different ideas for success.

One of them liked staying alone and was an introvert. She didn’t like to interact much with people and just focused on her studies. Whereas the other one loves to interact with people, making friends and connections. So, she focused on her studies but spared some time for social interactions and extra-curricular activities.

Eventually, the one who used to stay alone wanted to leave Harvard. On the other hand, the social butterfly made its way to success by interacting with people around her. In this way, she focused on her studies and enjoyed her time at Harvard.

You can also read the summary of the book The Relationship Cure Summary.

Big Potential Summary Key Points

Do you believe being social impacts our success or not? As far as I know, interacting with others will open your mind and broaden your vision. Therefore, those who interact with people learn more than those who avoid and spend time isolated.

The following are the key points of the book’s Big Potential that help you develop and maximize a good and positive mindset working with others.

Always surround yourself with good mentors

Firstly, the book teaches us a lesson that when you surround yourself with good and positive people, they help you grow. Instead of focusing on individual success, focus on others as well. It’s the first step from the five steps of SEEDS.

Geno Auriemma, the head coach of the UConn women’s basketball team, understands what it means to be surrounded by good mentors. Instead of focusing on individual successes, he evaluates his players based on how effectively they contribute to the team. This method’s success is also evident.

In basketball, one study from Alma university, BYU, revealed that assists are the most important factor in determining a team’s odds of winning. When a player delivers the ball to another player who scores, it is called an assist. To put it another way, rather than being a ball hog, thinking about success and the aim of winning as a team effort is more effective than trying to be a superstar.

However, it’s not simply having a team-oriented perspective that benefits. It’s equally as crucial who you have on your team. This is referred to as “getting the proper folks on the bus” by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great. Assemble a group of people who will help you grow. Remove the folks that are tearing you down from your life.

Expand your Definition of Leadership

Another lesson that the book teaches us is to EXPAND our definition of leadership. So that you can lead from any position while also leveraging your power and influence by empowering others to do so.

Any person assumes that leadership is an individual sport and that it is a burden that must be carried alone. On the other hand, trying to shoulder all of the leadership responsibilities on your own is the quickest way to burn out.

People who aspire to be superstars on their own, believing that they can only make a difference if and when they hold an “official” leadership position, can only attain Small Potential. However, there is essentially no limit to what may be accomplished when everyone in a system, regardless of their official role or position, shares the work of change-making. If we are to attain Big Potential, we must break free from the tyranny of labels.

The author is trying to say that you don’t have to be a leader to be successful or make a difference. But if you are one of them, however, delegating work to others will benefit not only you but the entire company.

When you achieve your objectives, the following step is to enhance your assets by properly complimenting them. We frequently deflect credit away from ourselves. When we give compliments to the team, on the other hand, we expand our potential.

Defend the system against attacks and sustain it through Momentum

We want everything to be flawless in our lives. Surely, everyone agrees with us in a world where everything goes our way and work is always enjoyable. We would be happier and more successful. And when these things don’t happen, we get frustrated. We may not be able to control the world, but we can DEFEND the good that exists within it.

Inertia and the universe will slow you down unless you have some force to assist your SUSTAIN momentum toward your goals. When you’re being pushed ahead by a positive force.

You can gather more energy and momentum to propel yourself forward while expanding your ability to pull others along with you. When we recognize how interrelated our energy is, we can understand how the more we create across our ecosystem, the more potential we’ll uncover.

It would be naïve to ignore negative effects when developing great potential. Mental Aikido, or redirecting attacks back at your opponent rather than just defending against them, is one effective technique to do this.

One method to do this when you’re stressed is to ask yourself why you care. Stress signals that you care, and by understanding that element of it, it may be changed into motivation. The final step in realizing Big Potential is to keep growing.

Big Potential Summary Quotes

To not only be creative, but to make everyone around him more creative. To not only be successful, but to make everyone around him more successful. I don’t just want him to be a bright light; I want him to make others shine brighter as well.”
― Shawn Achor

“By denying the light of praise, we extinguish it. By bending the light toward others, we magnify it.”
― Shawn Achor

Who would I recommend Big Potential book summary to?

Big Potential book is recommended to introverts and anyone who thinks social interaction is underrated. The book will motivate them to socialize more in order to be successful.

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