Why Do We Overestimate Talent?

We have become a culture obsessed with talent. Talent identification, talent development, talent management, talent acquisition – we have even named entire HR functions after talent. And in doing so, we often overlook a crucial fact:

Talent is only one component of success – and not the most important one.

Serious scientific research clearly supports this.

American psychologist and researcher Angela Duckworth dedicated years to studying a fundamental question: What truly distinguishes the most successful from the less successful – and how can it be measured?

By tracking thousands of individuals in highly demanding fields – science, business, sports, the arts, and even physically and mentally exhausting military programs such as West Point – she reached the same conclusion: talent is not the key predictor of success.

 The key lies in what she calls GRIT – passion and perseverance (strength of character).

Across all studied domains, those who demonstrated the greatest commitment, persistence, and ability to keep going despite obstacles, mistakes, and failures achieved the highest levels of long-term success. Many of them did not have exceptionally high IQs or “obvious” talent in terms of learning speed.

Duckworth explains it simply: success is a marathon, not a sprint.

Our brain – and our ability to learn – is not fixed. The concept of a growth mindset refers to the ability to grow despite challenges and failures, and this growth requires precisely PASSION and

PERSEVERANCE.

So why do we still glorify talent?

Why do we so often prioritize IQ tests in selection processes, while overlooking candidates who have built their GRIT through tireless effort and sustained commitment?

I highly recommend the book “GRIT – The Power of Passion and Perseverance” – a book that invites deep reflection on our beliefs about success.

Throughout my career, I have personally witnessed many outstanding career successes of individuals who outperformed their more “talented” peers thanks to perseverance, discipline, and continuous self-development.

In the end, most limits exist in our minds.The real question is how willing we are to expand our own perception – and how willing we are to give others the opportunity to show the very best of

themselves.

Perhaps it’s time for HR and leadership to ask less who is the most talented, and more: who has the strength to persevere – when things get really, really hard