Just finished reading the book, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I got it on Friday delivered home via Amazon and was curiously hooked to it over the weekend. It was hard for me to let go without finishing it.

Since I will be at conference in New York participating at panel where the Keynote speaker is Malcolm Gladwell, I really wanted to read his latest book before the conference. I have read the ‘blink’ and ‘ the tipping point’ and am always impressed with the simplicity that the author offers in bringing forth new thinking.

The book ‘Outliers’ resonated with me. Bill Gates is smart and successful but no one in this world can achieve that level of success without the help of others and opportunities presented to them. Bealtles is the greatest band but how did they train themselves to play music that they were so good that no one could ignore them.

The answers were simple and were more grounded in reality than how we hear from popular media channels and magazines. I was not surprised BUT was thankful that Malcolm brought forth how we are who we are because of the ethnicity we were born into, the cultures we embraced and social structures that supported or defeated us and times we were born into.

The point is: We all have opportunities or barriers that are laid out to us with the systems we are part of. Are we prepared to maximize those opportunities or minimize those barriers?

The book is classic example of, ” When opportunity meets preparation?” then there is no looking back.

Are you preparing yourself? Are you willing to pay the price? Are you learning?