“We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.”
–Isabel Allende
I love books that make me feel like I finally understand something hidden, mysterious, and valuable.
Hidden Genius is that kind of book.
It reminds me of Outliers in that it explains some of the hidden aspects of success—in this case, the unique and unusual ways of thinking that the world’s most successful people use to tackle challenges.
The book also addresses the nearly impossible task of unlocking how the creative process works and how ideas are generated.
WHY READERS MAY LIKE HIDDEN GENIUS
In MMH, we are constantly profiling the beliefs and actions of people who have achieved outsized financial success. And I highlight their winning actions and characteristics and then confirm them through reliable academic sources.
Hidden Genius also tackles the subject of success but with a unique, broader, and different emphasis. For that reason alone, it is worth your money.
ABOUT HIDDEN GENIUS
Author Polina Pompliano has spent the last few years interviewing highly successful people. But perhaps more importantly, she has asked them about the techniques and ways of thinking that set them apart and the motivations that make them tick.
So, the data sources in Hidden Genius are much more personal than the conventional paths I have discussed at MMH–and wider-ranging. The book also deals extensively with the creative process. The subject is generally about success, not just finances, health, and quasi-monetary issues.
It is a different way of looking at many of the same issues without the same structure–or through the same lens.
THE AUTHOR—HOW SHE OBTAINED HER INSIGHTS
Pompliano spent five years at Fortune and wrote hundreds of articles there before becoming the editor of Term Sheet—the newsletter at Fortune that detailed deals and dealmaking within various industries.
She met and interviewed hundreds of the world’s brightest and most influential people then.
She followed up by establishing The Profile, an independent media outlet that interviews and profiles companies and individuals who have achieved success. Dozens of these quotes and insights are contained within Hidden Genius.
And you meet some fascinating people along the way while reading this book. They are not just the usual suspects like Bill Gates or Bernard Arnault–both at one time the world’s wealthiest men. They include people like Franklin Chang Diaz, who tied the record for most space flights. And you also find out about people like Annie Duke, decision science author, and poker player. Many of the dozens of others she interviewed were equally offbeat and successful.
I think the book’s most surprising part is how much of it is about the author’s personal journey and how these interviews influenced her as she pursued her dreams and established her own business. For readers interested in becoming entrepreneurs, her journey is interesting and inspiring.
WHAT IS COVERED IN HIDDEN GENIUS
I have listed the primary subjects below. However, I am leaving out details since I do not want to spoil it for potential readers. Below I also have noted some of the similarities in MMH. If you are as interested as I am in many of these subjects, you can see where the gaps and overlaps are:
- Creativity–NA/Thirteen opportunity patterns the successful look for(?)
- Mental Toughness—Why the successful value determination and perseverance
- Healthy Relationships—Want Success? Find the right life partner.
- Telling better stories—N/A
- Becoming a leader—Do you need to be honest to be successful?
- Risk-taking–Financial freedom and worst-case thinking
- Clarifying thinking–Your money: be an objective judge, not a fan
- Engaging the community—NA
- Optimizing your content diet–Success: continuous learning matters
MMH focuses on money outcomes, while Hidden Genius concentrates on themes and processes. However, seeing this approach described in Hidden Genius highlighted gaps in my knowledge and may help you as you pursue success too.
I also like the summaries at the end of each chapter because they reinforce themes—which is essential. After all, the material is multilayered and complex, and the summaries are helpful and keep you from missing nuances. I am reading the book again and learning new things the second time.
THE VALUE–WHERE THIS BOOK DIFFERS FROM OTHERS
The process of achieving success is not always easy to understand. At MMH, I have tried to break down the various elements into understandable pieces and then explain how they are related. Sometimes, as a result, I linearly describe various success components.
However, in life, the process of success is not always linear. And it is more than just checking items off the list. Instead, it is often more like a messy ball of string—where one embedded strand is related to another, and untangling it is challenging.
This book’s greatest strength is describing one of the hardest life lessons to understand: how do you manage these disparate strings of complexity in your life when they come at you from completely different directions?
At first, the book explores what are (apparently) unrelated threads. However, in Chapter 10, she knits the disparate threads together.
SPECIFICS: WHAT I LEARNED AND HOW HIDDEN GENIUS MAY HELP YOU TOO
I was particularly impressed by the section on mental toughness. The successful are unique in that regard. But I have not seen much research or information on how people train themselves to be resolute.
I also like the section on storytelling. Now, you might say, what does that have to do with wealth building and success? Pompliano makes the case that the stories we tell ourselves are critical to our success and mental frame of mind. By contrast, the stories we tell others are essential to market ourselves and to convey success.
In another section, she likens trust to compound interest—a unique way of looking at things- a “stealth” factor that grows both happiness and financial success. It is a trait that is underestimated and undervalued but is present in every person I know who has achieved success.
NO, I DON’T GET ANY MONEY FROM PROVIDING THE LINK TO BUY THIS BOOK
Readers know that this site provides information only. I have no self-interest or sponsors. But I want to share with others any insights that can help readers–or authors who deserve recognition.
If I ever take on sponsors, I will let you know.
SUMMARY
I highly recommend this book.
Disclaimer: consult with a financial fiduciary before taking any steps outlined here. Not all advice may be suitable for your circumstances or investment style.
Image: Riccaro Annadale
License: Unsplash