What Is Your Full Potential — with Adam Grant and Oprah

The Oprah Podcast

Harpo

Society & Culture

4.2 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2026

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Oprah sits down with renowned organizational psychologist and professor Adam Grant to talk about lessons from his latest #1 New York Times bestselling book "Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things.” Known for his research on human potential, Grant shares how anyone can achieve greatness and unlock potential by cultivating character traits like resilience, curiosity, perseverance and embracing discomfort. He shares personal stories of overcoming his own limitations and insights from people who’ve accomplished the extraordinary. Joining the conversation is the first Black Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley and people from around the country via Zoom who desire to harness the power of hidden potential. BUY THE BOOK! 'Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things' by Adam Grant:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/719611/hidden-potential-by-adam-grant/ Adam Grant 2026 Day-to-Day Calendar: Something to Think About: Daily Insight from the Psychologist and Author https://www.amazon.com/Adam-Grant-2026-Day-Calendar/dp/152489933X Adam Grant: https://adamgrant.net/about/biography/ 00:00:00 - Welcome Adam Grant, author of Hidden Potential 00:04:13 - How character and personality differ 00:06:10 - Action and confidence 00:09:00 - Critics as coaches 00:11:50 - Standing in your values 00:14:15 - What makes a good leader 00:17:18 - First Black Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley 00:22:45 - How potential gets overlooked 00:24:10 - How ‘Hidden Potential’ helps educators 00:27:30 - Three priorities for a school to thrive 00:30:25 - Tap into your hidden potential 00:33:28 - Confidence in your ability to learn 00:34:50 - Managing perfectionism 00:38:00 - Appreciate your progress 00:39:30 - What keeps Oprah motivated 'Move by Move: Life Lessons on and Off the Chessboard' by Maurice Ashley:https://mauriceashley.com/move-by-move/ Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So Adam, I am graduating in May of 2026. I really, really resonated when you were discussing imposter syndrome. I recently did an internship and I felt like I had imposter syndrome every day. What advice can you give me graduating? Like, what do I do? Where do I start? Like, how do I not feel like the most anxious person in the room at all times?
0:25.9	Hi, everyone. I'm so delighted to be with you here on the Oprah podcast, where one of my goals is
0:31.7	to bring you ideas that can allow you to grow and imagine a new vision for your life.
0:37.7	I've always had the deepest belief in the power of our human potential.
0:45.0	And I'm always searching for ways to do better and be better and live more fully,
0:50.1	to open myself to possibility.
0:53.2	And my guest today is one of the foremost leaders
0:57.3	on finding meaning and motivation and personal growth.
1:02.0	He's a New York Times best-selling author of six books
1:05.2	that have sold millions of copies
1:08.3	and been translated into 45 different languages.
1:13.6	His most recent book is called Hidden Potential, The Science of Achieving Greater Things.
1:19.6	It resonated so with me because I believe now more than ever that we all have to find a way to prioritize our character and he talks a lot
1:32.7	about character in the book character is not your personality we're going to talk about that and so
1:39.2	much more welcome to the tea house adam grant thank you Oprah I'm so to be here, and I think it's safe to say that your potential
1:45.7	is not hidden.
1:48.1	Thank you, but it made me think about what is my hidden potential.
1:51.2	Yes, it did. It made me think about that. Maybe there are things that I have not, you know,
1:56.3	acknowledged or absorbed or been open to. Certainly did me up yes it did all right i can't wait
2:04.0	to see where that goes i can't wait to see where it goes now you wrote in the book for everyone
2:09.2	you said in this book that for everyone who has ever felt underrated or overlooked um but it's not just for underdogs, you said.
2:20.7	Longshots and late bloomers, it's all about how we can make sure that we get a chance
	...

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