Babu Krishnamoorthy: The author of the book Hidden Potential, Adam Grant, has been Wharton Business School’s top-rated professor for seven years. He is a renowned organisational management thinker and has written multiple books in this genre, focusing on motivation and how we can strive to achieve greater things. His notable works include Think Again, Originals, and Give and Take.
It is important to understand that there are gaps in all our performances, and we often attribute peak achievement to a select few champions across various fields. We tend to believe that such success is solely the result of innate talent. However, the author challenges this notion and argues that there is a framework available to all of us. If we choose to adopt and follow this framework, we can each attain greater success in whatever field of work we pursue.
Character Skills
Rajee Rajesh: This book helped me rediscover my own hidden potential. I used to be a voracious reader, but over time, I lost track of my reading habits. The crux of this book is something Adam Grant calls character skills. We often focus only on cognitive skills—math, science, and so on—but he emphasises the importance of four key character skills. Interestingly, these very skills helped me finish reading the book itself.
The first skill is being proactive. Once I decided to join this program, I made a plan: the book has nine chapters, so I scheduled one chapter for each working day and two chapters over the weekend. I finished the book in seven to eight days.
The second is being prosocial. I went around telling many people about this “Read and Grow” session. When you publicly commit to something, it holds you accountable and you have to follow through.
The third is discipline. I became very disciplined about my routine. I cut down my digital time, avoided OTT platforms, and kept my phone away.
Lastly, I was determined. I was fascinated by the story of the rescued miners in one of the chapters. That made me go back, compare, and reflect. And this is how I ended up reading the entire book.
Move to Discomfort Zone
Murali Krishnan: I run an IT software company, and what really hooked me in the book was the idea of character skills. I’ve always believed that it’s important to be street smart. In India, most people naturally are. I used to tell my daughter, “I don’t care if you get the first rank or second rank—but when you’re faced with a problem or a difficult situation, I want you to know how to navigate through it, find a way out, and do what’s right.”
I’ve lived in Singapore, Australia, the USA, and India. In some of these countries, people panic quickly in the face of challenges. But people from certain Asian cultures, they figure things out—they know how to deal with uncertainty. That, to me, is what character skills are all about.
One thing that really resonated with me from the book is the idea of polyglots—people who speak or understand multiple languages. Adam Grant shares stories of two people who were paranoid but chose to step out of their comfort zones into discomfort, just to learn a new language. I could relate to that. I’ve done the same. Even today, I’ll speak in my broken Telugu or Mandarin just to try. I make mistakes, and the other person corrects me—and I learn. For me, being in that discomfort zone has become second nature.
Language is just one example. I’ve been in the industry for 35 years now, and everywhere I go, I do something new, something different. I’ve grown used to the discomfort. That’s where growth really happens.
Babu Krishnamoorthy: This book is broadly divided into three key sections. The first is about character skills, the second focuses on the structures of motivation, and the third explores how to build systems of opportunity. Within each of these sections, there are several sub-topics.
The Golden 13
Murali Krishnan: Even during customer meetings in China, I often break into a few words of broken Mandarin—making plenty of mistakes. But surprisingly, that helps me break the ice, build rapport, and form stronger relationships with clients. One part of the book that really struck a chord with me was the story of The Golden 13. It reminded me of the movie Escape to Victory—a film about footballers held in a prison camp who eventually escape. The movie starred greats like Pelé and others. At its core, the story was about team spirit—helping each other, watching out for one another, and achieving something together that no one thought was possible.
Similarly, The Golden 13 were the first group of Black men selected to train as officers in the U.S. Navy. They kept telling themselves, “We have to make it through this training because over 100,000 Black people are looking up to us.” The motivation and the sense of responsibility were huge. Their training was rigorous, and many white officers doubted they would succeed. But they did. They not only completed the training—they excelled. Today, every new Navy recruit is said to begin their journey in the “Golden 13 Room,” honouring their legacy.
What inspired me most was that they weren’t the top performers in school or college. They were average individuals who came together as a team. They had each other’s backs. They studied together—even after lights out, reading under a single light in the bathroom from 10:30 p.m. to midnight. They didn’t just work hard—they worked smart. That’s what true teamwork looks like.
I try to bring those lessons into my own life. I lead a team at work, and I constantly ask myself: how can I create that kind of team spirit? Can we get people to open up, support each other, and rally together?
The book is full of sports analogies, which I personally loved. I’m a cricket coach and play a lot of sports myself. It reminded me of the great Australian cricket team of the 1990s and the legendary West Indies team of the 1970s and ’80s. Those teams were exceptional—not just because of talent, but because they united behind a common purpose.
Make It Fun
Rajee Rajesh: For nearly two decades, I was a couch potato—completely inert when it came to physical activity. I could sit for hours solving crossword puzzles or Sudoku. If you asked me to “play,” it would mean a game of Candy Crush online. But today, fitness is a core part of my identity. So, what brought about this transformation?
I see a lot of parallels between my journey and the framework the author lays out in Hidden Potential. Growth often requires the courage to be uncomfortable. Earlier, I would start something, try it for a bit, and then give up halfway—always finding some excuse. Procrastination was my greatest enemy. Our mind, like a monkey, always chooses what’s easy over what’s hard, though the hard path is often the one we truly need. I had to turn that daily grind into a source of joy. Today, fitness isn’t a choice; it’s my lifestyle. I’m stronger and healthier now than I was in my 30s.
The author also talks about why children learn faster. It’s not just because they have open minds. The real reason is that they aren’t afraid of making mistakes or being embarrassed in front of others. That really struck a chord with me. When I joined Zumba classes, I’d miss half the steps. My early yoga poses were laughable. I played badminton on weekends, but I couldn’t smash, pace the game, or even run properly. The people I played with used to tease me. But I stuck with it. Because I knew: that was my one shot at burning calories and taking charge of my health.
Babu Krishnamoorthy: We all seek a certain level of comfort in whatever we do, but growth rarely happens within that comfort zone. Every time I’ve stepped out of mine, even though it was difficult at first, the outcome was far better than anything I could have imagined. It’s like the banyan tree—nothing grows under it. You have to step out from under the shade, into the open, exposed to the elements, if you truly want to grow.
The second insight is this: make anything fun. If you’re doing something just because you have to, motivation will eventually wear off. I’m 55, and I still hit the gym most mornings. But let’s be honest—gym routines can get monotonous after a while. So we did something simple yet powerful. A group of us—all in our early 50s—work out together in the early morning. We brought a music system and started playing Ilayaraja’s hits, because that’s the music of our generation.
So, from 6 to 7 a.m., the music plays in the background, and we go about our workouts. Some days, I don’t even go to lift weights—I just go to listen to the music and hang out. The point is, I don’t think of it as just exercise anymore. I go because I love being in that space. And ever since we started this routine, I’ve hardly missed a session. That’s what sustains motivation—making it joyful.
Murali Krishnan: This morning, I told myself, “Come what may, I’m playing tennis today.” And I did; and I felt really good after the workout. Between sets, I also hit the gym. Tennis is the main activity, but the key is this: we try to enjoy what we do.
I believe students should bring that same element of fun into their studies. Finland has done a remarkable job of educating children by making learning enjoyable. Teachers can use fun not just to teach, but also to manage and engage students better. It’s all about doing things differently, in a way that triggers fun and joy.
Babu Krishnamoorthy: What are two or three key takeaways from this book that you genuinely want to imbibe and implement in your own life?
The Need for Scaffolding
Murali Krishnan: Three key things I want to implement in my life. First, encouraging people to step out of their comfort zones and stay in the discomfort zone—whether it’s at work, at home, at school, or wherever they are. That’s where real growth happens.
Second, scaffolding—developing others, both as individuals and as part of a team. I want to consciously do more of that—supporting, mentoring, and helping people grow wherever I am.
And third, introducing a fun element, especially at work. I’ve always been fun-loving. We all worry far too much. I want to reduce that stress, not just for myself but for the people around me, particularly in the workplace. Even when we’re trying to win a new customer, I believe we can do it with a spirit of fun. It will make a big difference.
Mind Time Travel
Rajee Rajesh: Whenever we read a self-help book, we often assume the goal is to make us perfect. But Adam Grant devotes an entire chapter to criticizing perfectionism. While it’s debatable whether I’m a perfectionist, I certainly see many traits in myself that he warns against. I have a tendency to obsess over minor problems, overthink, and sometimes spend too much time solving small issues—only to miss the bigger picture. He calls this the perfectionist spiral. You keep repeating the same patterns, stay stuck in your comfort zone, and become resistant to doing anything new.
One solution he offers is a technique called mind time travel. He suggests that when you’re evaluating something—whether it’s a task you’ve completed or a challenge you’re facing—don’t judge it only in the present. Step back in time and look at it from a past perspective. It helps you recognize how far you’ve come and whether you’ve made progress. I’m definitely going to practice this. I also plan to introduce it in my client interactions—it could serve as a powerful morale booster.
Another idea from the book really resonated with me—something I had practiced naturally for years but lost touch with: teaching. Adam Grant says, teach what you want to learn. It’s one of the best ways to truly absorb something, even if you aren’t a master of it. I’ve now decided to be more proactive about this—taking on opportunities to share my knowledge and reinforce my own learning in the process.
And one final thought that really struck me—we’ve all had difficult days in the past month, six months, or even the past year. Yet, we are all sitting here today. That, in itself, is something to feel good about. It’s a quiet but powerful reminder that we are still moving forward. That’s a message we should carry with us as we navigate challenges and overcome hurdles.
Be a Human Sponge
Babu Krishnamoorthy: You often come to a point in life where you think you know it all. But in this book, Adam Grant introduces the concept of a human sponge—someone who constantly expands their capacity to absorb new ideas and insights. That really resonated with me. Today, with the way technology is evolving—especially with AI touching every aspect of our lives—if we don’t actively absorb and adapt, we risk becoming irrelevant.
I realise I need to dedicate more time—maybe 30 to 45 minutes a day—to exploring AI more deeply than I currently do. We all talk about AI, AI, AI—but I haven’t really taken the time to get hands-on, to experiment, or to find meaningful ways to integrate it into my daily routine. That’s something I must work on.
The second idea that struck deeply with me was the difference between feedback and advice. Grant says you should never ask for feedback, because it’s inherently backward-looking. Feedback focuses on what went wrong. Instead, he suggests asking for advice, which is forward-looking and constructive.
For example, after a session like this, if I were to ask you for feedback, you might tell me three things I could have done better. But if I asked, “What advice would you give me for next time?”—you’d probably offer future-oriented suggestions. The shift in how you frame your question can significantly improve the quality and usefulness of the response. I thought that was brilliant.
He also says, “If you want a great coach, you must try to become one yourself.” Just like if you want to learn deeply, start teaching. That idea really struck me. I need to walk that path more deliberately—to coach, to teach, and to keep learning by doing.
