Adam Grant is a psychologist who frequently discusses the distinction between talent and character. His perspective can be summarised as follows:
- Talent Gets You in the Door, but Character Keeps You There
- Talent refers to raw ability - intelligence, skills, or expertise.
- Character includes traits like integrity, humility, perseverance, and kindness.
- While talent can create opportunities, character determines long-term success and relationships.
- Character Outweighs Talent in Leadership & Teamwork
- Grant argues that great teams and organisations prioritise character over pure talent when hiring and promoting.
- Toxic high performers (those with talent but poor character) can harm workplace culture.
- Resilience and Learning Require Character
- Talent is often innate, but character shapes how someone handles failure, feedback, and growth.
- People with strong character are more adaptable, accountable, and willing to learn from mistakes.
My feeling is that character is too often overlooked in favour of talent. Character can compensate for lesser talent, but not vice versa. It is your character that attracts or repels colleagues or potential clients, not your talent.
What your character needs to be to be successful takes time and effort to train and nurture. And the effort is worth it.
Character will sustain you long after your talent has been surpassed or run out.
Key Adam Grant Quotes on This Topic
- "The skills that get you hired aren’t always the ones that make you successful."
- "Character is what you do when no one is watching."
- "Talent is potential, but character is a choice."