This is a guest post by Carlos Miceli. He is a young Argentinian that likes to question everything.
Editor’s Note: Carlos is one of the most charming, friendly, intelligent and engaging people I have met on Twitter, and English isn’t even his first language! I am thrilled to share his work on my blog.
“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
What do people mean when they say that someone “has potential”? What do they see in someone when they say that person will “get far,” whatever that means? Is it about having innate and undeniable abilities, like intelligence and charisma, that make an impact? Or is it about people betting on and predicting your future based on superficial first impressions?
The thing about potential is that it is never precise. Bosses, friends and acquaintances see people with potential as having “a bright future,” but it is often based more on gut instinct than anything else. Because there is no way to be sure – to know exactly how good a person will be, or what life decisions he or she will make. No way of telling how much of their potential will be fulfilled.
When you think about getting places, it is not potential that matters. It is capacity. It is your capacity that will give you results if you put it to work. But other people don’t always know what you are capable of, so they assign you a predicted level of “potential.” And until they really get to know you, the level of potential they see in you is a guessing game.
You have more control over other people’s impressions of your potential than you think. Why does it matter? Because if they think you have potential, they will support you. They will mentor you, fight for you, and give you opportunities.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “fake it until you make it.” No matter what your capacity or level of experience is, if you can show potential, doors will start opening for you.
So how do you show potential?
By standing out, being different. Sound hard? I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s actually easy. Really easy. These are my personal tips:
- Be inquisitive. Ask questions. Lots of them. This is “Standing Out 101″ since most people don’t do this. Asking means “I don’t know everything, but I want to.” It shows ambition, which helps demonstrate your potential. Some people will be happy to answer your questions, and will be glad to have met you and supported you. Others will be resentful; they are the ones who you will probably leave behind faster.
- Be controversial, wisely. When you think differently about something that everyone else agrees with, take a risk and speak up! Be open and leave room for being wrong, but be vocal too. Being willing to speak up when you are the odd-one-out is a huge step towards showing potential, because it forces people to notice you, to listen to you. But be ready to lose the argument; remember, it’s not about being right, it’s about standing out.
- Be confident! Stand up for your uniqueness. For people to bet on you, they must believe in you. And they won’t if you don’t believe in yourself. Being confident is another way of saying “I’m a sure bet.”
- Be a rockstar. Go above and beyond what is asked of you. Be an essential part of the team. But don’t try to be the PERFECT employee, because being perfect means fitting in perfectly. You can’t stand out without having an edge. Putting yourself out there. Doing things differently.
- Be unique. It’s not up to me to define what is unique or not. Maybe writing poetry, maybe dancing salsa, maybe having a blog. Having a life outside of your mainstream activities will make people ask questions about you, therefore creating the mystery that makes you stand out. Potential is all about making people wonder about you, in a good way.
When you are alone, thinking about succeeding in life, always remind yourself that you have to give your best, that you CAN get where you want to, and that you are the master of your life. But when it comes to potential and people’s opinions of you, market yourself accordingly. “Godinize yourself.” Live on the edges. Be weird. Because being weird kicks ass.
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[...] My guest post “The Truth About Potential” is up at Jenny Blake’s blog. Read it here. [...]
Someone once told me that “You can not love someone for their potential; you have to love them for who they are currently”. Your post made me think about why I love that quote so much. Potential is about what people can do, and possibly, should do. But at what point does the potential turn into action? I think that your ideas on how to show that your potential is actual capacity and drive are great examples of how to lead life. Plus, I also agree that weirdness is wonderful
Morgan, that’s a great quote! Never heard it before, but I’m writing it down!
I’m glad and honored by your words! Also, I’m happy that you found this post useful in some way. Thanks for your time!
I’m a strong proponent of the notion that it’s not where someone has been, but where they’re capable of taking you. Chances are some of their past experiences contribute to your realization about where they’re capable of taking you (true), but it’s not the entire equation.
Of course it depends on the person/situation and a number of other factors, but I think it’s safe to say that someone’s past experiences and accomplishments (in addition to their insight, charisma, etc.) help shape people’s view of their “potential.”
I love the comparison between potential and capacity, and I think all 5 of your points are 100% true. I think the one most people underestimate is “be inquisitive.” A lot of people are scared that asking questions might show their ignorance to something, rather than their passion for acquiring new knowledge. This is something I’ve had to overcome as well.
Awesome post Carlos. Thanks for letting him share on your platform Jenny!
And just curious Carlos. With English as a 2nd language how long does it take you to write a post like this?
R
Ryan, thank you for this amazing comment, it could be a post by itself.
Maybe our biggest advantage by being young is the fact that we don’t have many accomplishments…So people can’t judge our results, they have to “guess”. And that’s where asking, and standing out comes in.
Thanks for this Ryan, it really left me thinking, and regarding your last question:
A lot. That’s the major issue with my social media approach. When I decided to connect with people in the US and the rest of the world (because people in Argentina just aren’t in that place yet), I realized that my english would be sufficient, but that it’d make things harder than for everyone else. It takes me more time to do anything. Not that I reach for a dictionary or anything, but I need to proof read a lot
The day I start commenting like Matt does, I’ll be happy
Oh, and also, Jenny had a lot to do with this, we both brainstormed about it, and she helped me with the editing.
So, to sum it up, a lot
Love the ideas in this post! Thanks for allowing this guest blogger to have his say. I was very enlighten by what I read here!
I’m glad you found it useful! And yeah, Jenny was awesome for letting me do this. She’s the best.
Riveting post Carlos! And to think I have to hunt for “potential” in people for a living.
I was just debating this with colleagues how do we differentiate really between someone with “potential” and someone who can get the job done. What is “it” that we’re looking for. Most of the time it’s something completely intangible, like a sixth sense, a hunch, like you say a gut feeling. But then how do you translate that into the workplace?
I loved your tips, very practical and though common sense not always commonly practiced. I especially love “Be weird. Because being weird kicks ass.” Absolutely, every time!
I’d like to get that as a bumper sticker – “I’m weird and I kick ass!”. Awesome
Hahaha, Shereen your comment really made me smile, thank you for it
It’s exactly that, potential sometimes s the most subjective thing in the world, and once we understand that, we can at least try to make better decisions towards it (specially you working “finding potential”!)
And yeah, that would be a cool sticker huh?!
Great stuff Carlos – being weird, being different, being unique – that will get you far, that’s what separates the men from the boys (or the women from the girls – to be politically correct). No one ever stood out by being ordinary – coasting through life is easy, being extraordinary, rising above the rest, it’s difficult, but so much more rewarding, both personally and collectively as a cog in the structure of society.
You’re dead on my man, as usual. I just saw a video post by Ryan Stephens where he says “Ordinary ends up a cog in the corporate system”. I think this is what we’re both going for. It’s all a matter of risks. You either take some chances and go for the big prize, or stand still, without failure or success. Boring, huh?
Thanks for your comment Matt, they’re always great.
Carlos, I love this long post side of you! Seriously though, this is packed with great advice. Potential is very important, and I don’t think we always realize just how many factors go into it. The list you give is a nice reminder of the simple things we can do to be the best version of ourselves that we possibly can. I think one of the most important things is that we believe in ourselves and try our hardest. Great post, and thanks Jenny for featuring Carlos here
Sam, your comment, words and compliment means so much to me, you have no idea. I respect you, like, a lot
Potential, like you say, gets overlooked. We sometimes believe is something you either have or haven’t, and I don’t believe that. It can be “acquired”, as long as you also give your best
Thanks for everything Sam, you rock!
Carlos,
This is such a great post and there are many excellent ideas in it. It made me think of at least 3 different topics, so really this is great.
Some thoughts:
1) I think it is a great thing for a young person to hear that they have a lot of potential. It develops confidence and energizes them to try new things out. And then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You hear that you have potential, you act on it and thereby nourish it, people recognize and tell you again and again that you have potential. Rinse and repeat.
2) “You have more control over other people’s impressions of your potential than you think.” This sentence reminded me of one of the concepts out of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It basically said that you should not listen to what people around you are saying about you, even though you might think that it is completely true (a la “he is so right…I AM emotionally damaged from my previous relationship”). This is because what they think of you is also a reflection of themselves, their fears, interests, experiences. You are never getting the exactly real picture, but a reflection. So even though it might ring through to you, it is important to trust your own gut instinct above anyone else’s.
3) Be inquisitive. So so so true! In my experience, successful people like to see other people who are inquisitive and will give their time to help them out. So always look out for more opportunities to learn. From everyone.
Irina, thanks for such detailed comment!
1) I actually think that this applies mostly to young people, because they aren’t judged by results yet. They still can use their “potential” to their advantage. And let me tell you that your virtuos cycle is quite good. I’ll keep it in mind. Rinse and repeat.
2) Perfect. To be confident not only as a way of saying that people should bet on you, but also as a way of telling yourself that!
3) Isn’t it beautiful when you meet someone who’s as curious and motivated as you? This relationships are the ones that have the most potential, since these people want to learn as much as possible from each other. It’s usually a win-win combination.
Thanks for everything Irina, you really got me thinking…
are you from Argentina?? i sooo wanna go!
What college did you graduate from?? which one is the best?? i m planning on doing a master outside the US.
Great post though!
Kim
Kim, here’s my mail: carlosmiceli87@gmail.com
I’d be glad to chat this with you
Another impressive post, Carlos! I had never thought of potential as it relates to capacity before.
My whole life, I was told I had tremendous potential, by my teachers and others. But I think that only served to stifle me; because I thought my success was assured, I never learned how to strive or challenge myself. So my capacity stayed disproportionately low. Only recently have I focused on capacity, and stopped worrying about potential, though I didn’t think of them in those terms. I wish I’d read this years ago.
I completely agree David. I always got the best grades in class, won awards, and was pretty much the best student in the world. And, I kept hearing over and over again about how easy that would make it to go places and what potential I had. My success was “assured” as well and I only challenged myself in school, not by figuring out what I actually wanted to do. No one ever stopped to teach me how to turn that potential into greatness and how to accomplish something with it.
Likewise, it has only been a recent thing, about a year after graduation now, that I am learning how to not be a student and turn my potential into capacity. Knowledge like that presented in this post would go a long way in helping someone start living and stop waiting.
I’m sure that that kind of life has something to do with most of us being bloggers, but that’s another post on it’s own
You’re dead on David. The problem with kids with potential is that they may “buy” it. I know I did at that time, and for what i see, so did you.
We should use the idea of potential for our advantage, but work on our capacity as well.
Thanks for your comment David, insightful as usual.
Hi Everyone,
Sorry for chiming in late on the comments. I just wanted to say that I am deeply touched by the amazing conversation that Carlos’s post generated.
I love that Carlos questions the whole notion of potential – what does potential really matter in the end? To me, life is about taking risks, believing in ourselves and others, supporting each other and in committing ourselves to doing great work (in whatever form it takes). Potential is meaningless if we don’t walk the talk, and yet, seeing a vision of our true potential without limitations is what really helps drive us (or me at least) forward.
Thank you Carlos for working so hard on this, and for taking the time to write such a thoughtful piece! And thanks again to everyone for your amazing, insightful comments. I feel lucky to be able to host a conversation like this.
Jenny
An amazing discussion indeed! I’m as surprised as you are Jenny, since I never expected so many wonderful comments from such smart people.
I want to thank you too Jenny, for helping with the editing, the brainstorming, and most of all for trusting in me and my content. You were awesome all the way.
On potential vs. results, it is a delicate balancing act. Go too far towards the mirage of potential and you will be lost in daydreams and fake self-esteem and never do anything (while feeling that the world owes you the respect and results you’ve given yourself in your mind, which can have awful results). Go too far towards results only, and you will never dare to try things you’ve never been able to do before, while missing out on great teammates who haven’t yet had a chance to shine.
You can’t ignore results – potential is useless if never realized. And you can’t ignore potential – one job of a leader is to help people be the best they can, not just the best they have.
Patri, interesting thoughts, and I agree with the idea of balance. But I think your analyzing potential and results in an introspective way.
This post is not about how we should consider our potential or our achievements, rather than what to “show” others.
Thanks for your comment!
Patri! So great to hear from you. Completely agree with what you said, that potential vs. results is a delicate balancing act. Dreaming about our fullest potential gives us something to strive for and aspire to, but focusing on what we are doing now is important too. Nobody wants to be all talk – you’ve got to back-up your potential with real results. I love what you said about a leader’s job – that it is to help people be the best they can, not just the best they have right now. Oftentimes people don’t even REALIZE how much they are capable of until someone else helps shine a spotlight, provide a guiding hand, or offer up a big, challenging situation.
I am late with my comment, but I just wanted to say that ‘Carlos, you have a lot of potential.’
Seriously though, I really like the conversation has brought about, and I honestly didn’t expect any less from a post from Carlos.
Kudos to you Carlos for writing such a good post and to Jenny for knowing that he would add so much value to your blog!
Thanks for stopping by Benjamin! Glad you enjoyed the post – I happen to agree, Carlos is CHOCK FULL o’ potential
. I have really enjoyed the conversation the post generated as well – fun to bat big ideas around with people on topics like this. Thanks again to Carlos! And everyone should check out his video interview with Jun Loayza if you haven’t already!
@Benjamin
Wow man, thanks for that! I’m blushing, seriously…I’m just glad you enjoyed the post and got something out of it. And keep reading Jenny’s blog, you won’t be disappointed!
@Jenny
I’m not sure if an award for the “sweetest girl that’s also really sexy” exists, but if it does, I’m voting for you.