At the same book talk, on the topic of persistence and talent, I mentioned that some companies like to hire musicians and athletes. Why? They show up.
One audience member, a former college rower, took issue with this. He said that showing up wasn't nearly as important as "being present." I agree.
Take a look at this Washington Post story about the Olympic swimmer Kate Ziegler. Other swimmers certainly showed up to practice every day. But if you look at Ziegler’s training regimen, you’ll see that she did much more than that.
I see this pattern again and again. It's a behavior known as "deliberate practice" -- and it's something you can read about more in this excellent upcoming book.
As a former collegiate rower myself, I cannot agree more. I've also read about top athletes and Olympians who are "engaged" as deliberate practice even when off the field, so to speak, and that level of effort contributes greatly to their performance. I think this could very well be the 7th lesson.
Some high performers may think this is common sense for success, but from my observation it isn't. And real engagement comes out of passion. Engagement deepens with intense practice and commitment.