The Snitch

Singapore – Business author Malcolm Gladwell believes that companies should not confuse a lack of human capitalisation with a shortage of talent.

Speaking at Singapore Institute of Management’s Annual Management Lecture earlier this month, Gladwell said leaders need to be able to provide people with opportunities to explore where their strongest point lie.

He gave the example of long-distance runners in Kenya. Gladwell said young teenage boys in Kenya are given the opportunities to run and develop their running ability. Therefore, he said the chances of discovering an outstanding long-distance runner are mush higher than in Singapore.

However, he said that does not mean there is no one in Singapore who is incapable of running long-distance. Instead, the lack of long-distance runners here is simply the result of a lack of opportunities for local runners to discover their athletic abilities.

Gladwell also shared a story about how in the past, pianists struggled to perform classical music compositions that were considered so overwhelmingly difficult that no one could play them. However, he said with better coaching, more pianists were slowly able to perform these masterpieces and overcome those challenges.

On that same note, Gladwell urged leaders to give ample opportunities for talent to be nurtured in Singapore. He added by providing the right training and support, people can achieve much more than they initial believed.