Your Potential: Don’t “Find” It—Build It
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
If he had believed that potential was something we were just born with or without, that probably would have been the end of the story and you wouldn’t be reading about him now. Instead, he went on to train harder than anyone, obsessing over any opportunity for improvement. Even at the height of his career, he was known to show up earlier and stay later than ayone, refusing to be outworked.
By the time he retired - as the NBA GOAT - it would be easy to forget that he was the same teenager that was cut from a school team. The potential he built through sheer effort and force of will far surpassed any natural talent he may have been born with.
What about Richard Branson? A dyslexic teenager who struggled in school, had no business experience, and zero connections— he was hardly the makings of a billionaire. He wasn’t born a publishing prodigy or music mogul or even a pilot. He built his empire by building his potential - industry by industry.
So…. are we born with potential - or do we actually build it?
The Myth of Innate Potential
We love the idea of “natural talent.” It makes success feel like destiny. If someone is born gifted, then the rest of us can let ourselves off the hook when we don’t show instant proficiency in something. But that belief traps us in mediocrity—it keeps us stalling our progress, waiting for the moment our potential magically reveals itself.
You may have been there - when you’re about to try someting new and had that thought that maybe—just maybe—you’re about to discover a freakish, untapped talent? Like you sit down to play chess for the first time and the moves just click. Or you clip into skis, bomb down a double black, and leave your friends in awe. But then… you don’t. You’re actually not instantly great. You fall, it sucks, and suddenly, the Olympic dream dies before it even begins.
That’s the myth of innate potential in action. We assume that if we don’t show instant mastery, it’s not meant for us. But Adam Grant and Steven Bartlett recently broke this idea down and concluded that we don’t discover our abilities—we develop them.
This is supported by Psychologist Carol Dweck’s ground-breaking research on growth mindset. In her studies, she found that people generally approach their abilities with one of two mindsets:
A fixed mindset, where talent and intelligence are seen as static—you either have it or you don’t; or
A growth mindset, where skills are seen as malleable, built through effort, learning, and persistence.
Dweck’s research shows that people with a growth mindset achieve more over time, not because they start out with more talent, but because they’re willing to push through setbacks and keep improving. When they fail, they see it as data, not as proof they should quit.
Built to last
Some people are born with freakish talents.
Interestingly, however, studies show that being a prodigy is no guarantee of long-term success. Research by David Epstein in Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World reveals that many child prodigies plateau as adults. They’re great at following instructions and excelling in structured environments, but often struggle with creativity, adaptability, and risk-taking—the very skills needed to create success. So the four year old piano prodigy can recite Mozart, yet can’t compose their own music, putting a ceiling on their abilities (unless they build them).
Psychologists have also found that while early cognitive ability correlates with academic success, it doesn’t strongly predict groundbreaking innovation or major career accomplishments. Many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs - such as Richard Branson - weren’t academic prodigies. Instead, they built their success through experimentation, failure, and relentless learning over time.
The lesson? Potential isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build.
How to Create Your Own Potential
Once you shift to a growth mindset, there are a few steps you can take to start building your potential:
“The Power of Yet”
This one is actually courtesy of my daughter’s grade 1 singalong song. Whenever you find yourself saying “I can’t do…” you must instantly add “yet” to the end. The first time I tried this was when, completely overwhelmed and helpess, I left the first accoutning tutorial in my MBA and declared “I can’t use excel” - and believe me - I couldn’t. But out of desparation, I tried this primary school wisdom and told myself that I couldn’t - yet. Sure, it took a few tears and allot of late night youtube, but I got there in the end. By telling myself that I couldn’t do it yet I instantly turned the sentence from a foregone conclusion, to a learning opportunity.
Try it - it’s suprisignly impactful.
Start Before You Feel Ready
Most people wait until they feel “qualified” or “capable” to take action. I won’t run until I am “fit”. I won’t take that AI course until I have learnt more about AI… it’s a comfortable place to wait - but it doesn’t actually make sense.
Psychologist Dr. Julie Smith says that one of the most valuable things she has learned is that confidence is not fixed - it’s not a personality trait that some are born with and others born without. Smith says that if you want to feel more confident at something you need to follow two steps: do it as often as you can; and be willing to do it badly and without feeling confident (for as long as it takes to get better).
Learn in Public
The fastest way to grow is to share what you’re working on, even when it’s messy. To be honest, that was a huge motivation for me to get started on Getting Started. Comment on some posts by experts in the arena you are working in. Post your writing, business ideas, or creative projects. Get feedback. Improve. Many successful people, from James Clear to Ali Abdaal, built their careers by learning in public.
Stack Small Wins
Potential isn’t unlocked in one big moment—it’s built through compounding progress. Take small, consistent steps in the direction of your goals. A marathon training program doesn’t involve one 42.2km training run and sweet - you’re ready. Far from it. Training for any event - whether it’s work, athletic or personal - involves weeks and weeks of kilometres stacking on top of eachother.
Redefine Failure
Once you accept that potential is created, failure becomes a stepping stone, not a dead end. Every setback is a data point that helps you adjust, refine, and keep going.
The most successful people aren’t the ones who never fail; they’re the ones who refuse to stop.
Surround Yourself with Possibility
Your environment shapes what your reality, and what you believe is possible. Spend time around people who push boundaries and take risks. Seek out mentors, peers, or online communities that expand your vision of what’s achievable. Next time you feel threatened by what someone else is achieving, instead of envying that person - friend them.
You Build the Path as You Walk It
For anyone esle out there still waiting to discover their potential - stop waiting to magically find it. Build it. Build it now.
Potential isn’t waiting for you to find it—it’s waiting for you to create it.