I don't think there is one answer to that question. Over the years I've suggested people follow their passions because my observation was that people working on something they were passionate about, were good at it. While I stand by that advice, I've also observed times where people were passionately working at something, poorly. Which is to say they had the energy but not the mental discipline associated with growth in skill and expertise.
As the author explained in his post, being a B player can have roots deep inside your head, in Daniel's case, "It turns out that I don’t operate at my full potential when I believe someone else will find and fix my mistakes. I play better without a safety net. I also have a burning need to work on stuff that I feel I own completely."
I'm not sure how to trigger self reflection in others, I grew up doing it and thought it was something everyone did until I met lots and lots of people who never asked themselves "Why did I respond that way?" or "Where did that come from?".
In Daniel's quote, and in my own makeup, ownership is a big deal. Even something as simple as loading the dishwasher is demotivating to me if my wife insists I load it "like she would." So for me if I'm not doing well I ask "Am I not taking ownership here of this outcome?" And if the answer is yes I need to figure out if its because I've tried and been rebuffed (suggests changing jobs) or I've not really tried (suggests changing my own behavior). I recognize though that what works for me is probably useless for others.
I'm not sure how to trigger self reflection in others, I grew up doing it and thought it was something everyone did until I met lots and lots of people who never asked themselves "Why did I respond that way?" or "Where did that come from?".
This is called "metacognition" in educator circles, and it can make a big difference in how people react to different situations. The skill to evaluate and monitor your own thinking is something that many people never learn. See e.g. http://www.etc.edu.cn/eet/Articles/metacognition/start.htm
As the author explained in his post, being a B player can have roots deep inside your head, in Daniel's case, "It turns out that I don’t operate at my full potential when I believe someone else will find and fix my mistakes. I play better without a safety net. I also have a burning need to work on stuff that I feel I own completely."
I'm not sure how to trigger self reflection in others, I grew up doing it and thought it was something everyone did until I met lots and lots of people who never asked themselves "Why did I respond that way?" or "Where did that come from?".
In Daniel's quote, and in my own makeup, ownership is a big deal. Even something as simple as loading the dishwasher is demotivating to me if my wife insists I load it "like she would." So for me if I'm not doing well I ask "Am I not taking ownership here of this outcome?" And if the answer is yes I need to figure out if its because I've tried and been rebuffed (suggests changing jobs) or I've not really tried (suggests changing my own behavior). I recognize though that what works for me is probably useless for others.