“We built our brand around authenticity, because everything about it is true to who we are.”

Like chess grandmasters, dark horses teach us that you can achieve success without ever knowing your destination. You just can’t reach it without knowing who you are.

you could simply choose one thousand applicants at random. That would represent a genuine system of talent development: cultivating the potential of any person who seeks to achieve excellence.

Even though he had no assets and was only twenty years old, Alan managed to persuade a bank to loan him the money to buy the bar by arguing that his people skills would ensure his success as the new owner.

She had always looked forward to the bustle and excitement of working around people who were trying to make a difference. But after toiling at every level of government for more than a decade, she was beginning to realize that the true nature of her motivation might be different from what she had once assumed.

Instead, institutions and scholars who earnestly trumpet the Standard Formula imply that if you know your destination, work hard, and stay the course, fulfillment will be bestowed upon you once you reach your destination. Earn your diplomas, land a good job, and happiness will ensue . . . somehow.

Sure, choosing from one hundred different shampoo products can be daunting . . . if you have no idea who you are or what you want. But the better you know your needs and preferences with regard to your hair, the easier it becomes to choose the shampoo that fits you best.

As long as you Know Your Micro-Motives—and have a realistic appraisal of the demands of an opportunity—then you will be a better judge than anyone else of the riskiness of a choice, because you will be a better judge of fit.

More people came each time. “Then one day a stranger showed up who we didn’t even know.