Malcolm Gladwell The Talent Myth Summary

In Malcolm Gladwell's “The Talent Myth,” he draws attention to the issue of star talent in large and well-respected companies. A major point that he addresses is that intelligence and job performance are not necessarily correlated, if at all. I agree that being “smart” does not mean that you are better than someone else who has a lower IQ in terms of completing a task with efficiency and results. It was interesting to learn that IQ does not encompass common sense, which is an essential part of surviving in life and the real world beyond school. Gladwell provides several examples of companies that promoted employees simply because of their credentials instead of their true abilities. I thought that this was extremely unfair because having

had the opportunity to attend a prestigious school, such as Harvard, should not automatically grant someone with easy access to any higher level job. Even if a prospective employee attended Harvard, he/she should still be evaluated to the same extent as another prospective employee who may not have attended a well known school. As Gladwell’s subtitle correctly summarizes the central idea of his article, “are smart people overrated?” In addition to examples of companies that value intelligence over capability, Gladwell offers a historical perspective through a World War II lens. He argues that the Americans were so vulnerable to attack by German U-boats because they failed to recognize the need for organization and only placed heavy emphasis on talent. I believe that this relates to pride and having difficulty accepting the suggestions and recommendations of those who have broader perspectives.
I learned a lot about what the future could possibly hold for me from Gladwell’s article.

As a I prepare to enter college, I must take into consideration societal expectations and how I will be affected. Moreover, similarly to the students from the University of Hong Kong, I should believe in malleable intelligence in order to improve rather than believing that my intelligence is unchangeable. Intelligence is such a huge part of my life because I have grown up believing that it is a priority and that without nurturing my intelligence, I will not have a very bright future. However, Gladwell has changed my perspective; even though I may have intelligence, I must also be versatile in many areas. Although society and companies, including Enron, promote “stars” on the basis of their intelligence, I hope that time will tell that having brains is not the only factor to consider when hiring someone. Experience and resourcefulness should also be required. Smart people are, essentially, rewarded for appearing to be smart, and through analyzing Gladwell’s article, I have become curious in finding out what makes a company or business successful, since it seems to vary. The star system appears to be more negative than positive because although it encourages people with high IQs, it prevents those who may not perform as well on an IQ test from achieving the same level of success. Gladwell’s point that businesses put Harvard graduates on a pedestal indicates the injustice and stereotypes

that exist in the workforce.