What is the main message of Hidden Genius?

The main message of Hidden Genius is to unlock your potential and tap into your hidden talents.

Who is the author of Hidden Genius?

The author of Hidden Genius is Polina Marinova Pompliano.

Hidden Genius summary

Name: Hidden Genius
Rating: 4.3 (52 reviews)
Author: Polina Marinova Pompliano

Polina Marinova Pompliano

The secret ways of thinking that power the world's most successful people

4.3 (52 ratings)

14 mins

Brief summary

Hidden Genius by Polina Marinova Pompliano sheds light on the untold stories of immigrant founders who have made a significant impact on the tech industry. It reveals their struggles, triumphs, and lessons learned along the way.

Topics

Self-Help Career Progress Skills Success Creative Flow Talent Development

Table of Contents

Hidden Genius
Summary of 5 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 5

What’s in it for me? Tap into your hidden genius

Exceptional people are made, not born. What do they all have in common? They adopt mental frameworks and cultivate qualities that allow them to see the world differently from other people. By learning from their behaviors, you can unlock your own exceptional potential. With lessons from innovators and artists from Leonardo da Vinci to Aaron Sorkin, this Blink will provide you with the insights and inspiration you need to tap your own hidden genius.

Creativity is a muscle – exercise yours!

Creative genius isn’t restricted to a rarefied few individuals. We all have a creative spark flickering inside us – and it’s possible to nurture that spark into a flame. Creativity is a learnable skill, like playing a musical instrument or perfecting a recipe.

What is creativity? It’s hard to pin down, but here’s a definition worth knowing: creativity is the art of forging connections among seemingly unrelated concepts. It’s through these disparate, unexpected connections that ordinary ideas transform into extraordinary ones, and visionary breakthroughs are enabled. Here’s just one example, featuring a genius you’ve definitely heard of: Leonardo da Vinci. The story goes that, one day, da Vinci was out for a walk, when he stopped to admire the concentric ripples created by a rock thrown into a well. At the same time, church bells started ringing. As da Vinci observed the patterns rippling across the water, and listened to the sounds of the church bells, growing fainter with time, he was struck with the idea – later proven correct – that sound travels in waves. So keep your eyes, and your mind open for unexpected connections – these could be the source of your very own world-changing idea.

Now, let's debunk a common myth. That elusive creative muse? Turns out, it's not a prerequisite. Creativity isn’t something that comes to you. It’s something you work at – hard! And, as you hone your skills, you might face a hard truth: the path to originality is often paved with failure and criticism. Sounds discouraging, right? But it's actually a sign that you're onto something truly innovative. Truly new, paradigm-breaking ideas often need a few iterations before they’re perfect, so stumbling along the way isn't necessarily a bad thing. And it’s a well-known truth that people can be suspicious of things that feel unfamiliar. So garnering criticism from your more conservative peers might be a good sign.

Now, let's talk about elevator pitches – if you work in sales or marketing, you’re probably more than familiar with this concept. The idea is, you should be able to pitch your product, or concept, in the time it takes to ride an elevator, so roughly 30 seconds. But Ed Catmull thinks that no truly creative idea can ever be simple enough to be encapsulated in a 30-second pitch – and as the co-founder of Pixar, Catmull knows a bit about creativity! So don’t worry if your idea isn’t easily packaged into a 30-second presentation – in fact, you should feel encouraged.

Suffering isn’t pleasant – but it can be positive

A common thread emerges among the stories of individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary endurance in the face of adversity – people like ultra-runners, Navy SEALs, and survivors of harrowing experiences, like the Holocaust. They all share a remarkable ability to navigate through immense suffering. Through suffering, they forge the resilience and grit that allows them to overcome incredible obstacles.

Resilience and grit are wonderful qualities – but no one wants to suffer voluntarily, even if improved resilience is the end result. However, seeking out – and even embracing – suffering in a controlled context can set you on the path to peak performance. That’s exactly what this approach did to David Goggins. Before he was a Navy SEAL, ultra-runner, and triathlete, Goggins was an unmotivated and physically unfit pest control technician. But then he dared to embark on a transformative mission. His aspiration to become a Navy SEAL involved strenuous challenges, both physical and mental. He grappled particularly with the mental side of his training. It was this grappling that formed the foundation of his three pivotal principles for fostering resilience.

Control your own narrative

Stories are crucial. Stories determine what’s important and who matters. If you don’t have control over your own story, you cede it to someone else. As the final words of Hamilton say, “Who lives, who dies, and who tells your story?” Your life has all the components of a compelling story – after all, you are both the protagonist and author of your own story. You just need to learn to tell it.

Therapist Lori Gottlieb knows all about the power of stories. She believes our self-narratives shape our destinies. She says, “The way we narrate our lives shapes what they become.” Unfortunately our stories are often shaped by our anxieties and uncertainties. Try this: Take a sheet of paper and write about something in your life that is making you feel anxious. Then, try to write about the same situation from the point of view of someone else in your life. Often, changing our viewpoint is all we need to get a healthy perspective on a situation. Transposing yourself into an observer of your story, rather than a participant, can unlock new insights and fresh perspectives.

Forget stereotypical leadership models

You might not feel like a natural leader. But have you ever considered that you might not be the problem? It's your perception of leadership that might be off-course.

Banish the stereotypes of the brash CEO or the assertive politician – the true leaders are those who don't vie for the spotlight but aim to be subtle forces of change. In a world accustomed to top-down leadership models, truly innovative leaders are leaving this structure behind. Enter Daniel Elk, the visionary behind Spotify, who pioneered the "bottom-up" approach. This unconventional strategy flips the leadership pyramid, empowering employees to be proactive thinkers and doers. Instead of waiting for the leader's green light, they act on their ideas and strategies. This approach, contrary to expectations, creates a fertile atmosphere for innovation and creativity.

Build your own brand of genius

No two geniuses are identical. And while you can take inspiration from some of our greatest thinkers, entrepreneurs, and innovators, there’s no blueprint onto which you can map your own genius\v . You have to discover how to leverage your own strengths, talents, and – yes – flaws into your own brand of creative genius. How do you do that?

Begin by shedding the labels that society has affixed to you – or those labels that you’ve used to define yourself. These labels aren't just words; they possess the power to shape your world. The concept of linguistic relativity asserts that the words you use can actually shape your perception – and create your reality. If you label yourself as "bad at math," you might unknowingly create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, consider approaching the world through a "curiosity filter." This lens is crafted by asking questions and wholeheartedly listening to the answers you receive.

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What is Hidden Genius about?

Hidden Genius (2023) compiles insightful and surprising lessons from some of the world’s most innovative, creative, and successful people. It goes on to unpack the mental frameworks through which these remarkable people see the world – and to show how you can use these frameworks to unlock your own potential.

Hidden Genius Review

Hidden Genius (2021) highlights the stories of incredibly talented but overlooked individuals who have made significant contributions to technology. Here's why this book is worth reading:

It offers a fascinating insight into the lives of these hidden geniuses, shedding light on their achievements and the challenges they faced.
With its compelling narrative and well-researched content, the book presents an engaging and inspiring account of untold stories in the world of technology.
Unveiling the untold, the book challenges the traditional narrative by showcasing the diverse perspectives and remarkable accomplishments of these hidden geniuses.

Who should read Hidden Genius?

Creatives who want to take their practice to the next level
Leaders who want to inspire their teams
Anyone who feels they’re not living up to their potential

About the Author

Polina Marinova Pompliano is the founder of The Profile, a media platform that spotlights influential people and their working practices. Prior to that, she was a financial journalist at Fortune magazine.

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