ABSTRACT

One hundred and forty years ago Francis Galton launched the scientific investigation into high achievement (Galton, 1869), and the ensuing debate over the relative contributions of ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ has continued virtually unabated since that time. Galton highlighted three primary components to achieving excellence, namely innate capacity, zeal, and the power to work hard. The preceding chapter focuses on the first of these tenets – innate capacity. This chapter will focus on the latter two – zeal, and the capacity for hard work. In addition to these two important variables, there are a number of other environmental factors that help to shape talent development. Some of these, like access to good coaching, or a supportive family environment, are reasonably obvious. Others, like one’s place and date of birth, are less so. As the evidence suggests, however, seemingly innocuous events like the day we were born can have a dramatic effect on our ultimate success.