Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment

One can best replicate success by looking not at the obvious winners, but at those who seemingly came out of nowhere, argue Rose (The End of Average) and Ogas, directors of study programs at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. They differentiate these role models from lifelong prodigies in a single field—Mozart and Tiger Woods, to name two—whose culturally lionized example bolsters the “standard formula” for success, that of keeping one’s eye on the prize and working hard to meet a set goal. A new strategy, posit Rose and Ogas, is needed for a brave new business world where individuality, customization, and personalization matter more than rule-following. To this end, they collected stories from people who changed careers in search of fulfillment, including a former White House aide who abandoned her political career to become a professional organizer, and a onetime middle manager who fulfilled his desire to work with his hands by becoming an upholsterer. In peppy, inspiring tones, the authors exhort readers to similarly discover what matters most to them. The unlikely winner is hardly a new idea, nor is the model of fulfillment as equal to success, but readers already seeking their truth will likely find validation within. (Oct.)