Business Book Review: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
Hendricks gives your internal fears a name - an upper limit. By conquering it, you free yourself for the big leap into your Zone of Genius.
My Rating: ★★★
Length: 193 pages
Publisher: Harper Collins
Released: April 2009
Applying the book to personal branding
Gay Hendricks is a University of Stanford Psychologist and best-selling author.
In The Big Leap, Hendricks proposes you artificially impose ceilings on your success. An ‘upper limit’ based on your own unconscious programming, fear and self-sabotage.
Hendricks details four key zones:
Zone of Incompetence
All the things you have no talent for, which others excel at. Persisting in them is a waste of your time and energy.
Zone of Competence
You’re competent at these things, but others are equally so. Many successful people are said to still spend too much time here.
Zone of Excellence
These are the activities you do exceptionally well. You make a good living in this zone. But, it’s a dangerous trap. The addiction to this comfort zone keeps you from leaping into your Zone of Genius.
Zone of Genius
This zone is your natural genius and ultimate path to success and satisfaction. It uses your special gifts and strengths.
Favourite Quotes
Fear disappears when you’re fully engaged in the Zone of Genius.
On Judgment Day, Mr. Lewin said, God will not ask, “Why were you not Moses?” He will ask, “Why were you not Sam Lewin?” The goal in life is not to attain some imaginary ideal; it is to find and fully use our own gifts.
Worry is definitely an addiction. In fact, worrying is like playing a slot machine in a gambling casino. Occasionally, the worrier will hit the jackpot and be rewarded for something that actually happens.
Those who have the courage to discover and bring forth their genius break through to unparalleled heights of productivity and life satisfaction.
The first place most of us use our unique ability is in navigating the tricky shoals of childhood. If you reflect on your unique ability, you’ll probably find that it made its appearance early in your life.
In your Zone of Genius, time doesn’t fly—it flows.
In the Zone of Genius, you have no need for your ego. In the Zone of Genius, you don’t care about getting approval, getting control, getting even, or any of the other get-oriented goals of the ego. You’re a free agent there, ready to respond to the infinite possibilities of the present moment.
Hendricks’ words are an impassioned plea with one simple message. Keep breaking past the limits of each of your zones. To find a home in your Zone of Genius. The promised land your authentic self deserves. A place where there is no fear.
At times, the world will try to impose its own glass ceilings on you. You need not assist it with your self-imposed upper limits. Hendricks reminds you to free yourself for your big leap.
The Big Leap: Available on Amazon.
