Beyond 10,000 Hours of Practice: What Experts Do Differently

Whatever your chosen field or avocation may be, if you take it seriously, you probably wish you could become an expert – the sort of person who earns real success, better opportunities or even just more personal satisfaction from what you do. And if you’re not an expert, you may look at those who are and think, maybe they just came to the task with more natural ability.

In fact, it may just be that they have been going about the tasks of getting better in a better way. Florida State professor Anders Ericsson – one of the researchers whose work led to the idea of the 10,000-Hour Rule – has written a new book on the topic with journalist Robert Pool called Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise. He joined us on the Knowledge@Wharton show on Wharton Business Radio on SiriusXM channel 111 to talk about what helps top performers reach that level, why the 10,000-Hour Rule was actually a misinterpretation and the one thing that anyone who really wants to become an expert must have.

Editor’s Note: also see the NPR All Things Considered interview with Anders Ericsson, “Practice Makes Possible: What We Learn By Studying Amazing Kids“