We tend to think of ability as something contained within the person.

But the same trait can become extraordinarily valuable in one environment and almost useless in another.

Patience. Obsession. Aggression. Curiosity. Judgment.

Their value changes depending on the game, the incentives, the people around you, the time horizon, and the structure you're operating inside.

In this episode, I explore an idea I've been thinking about as Environmental Leverage.

Warren Buffett's patience becomes far more powerful because of the structure around him. A talented athlete can look ordinary in the wrong system. Great people inside badly designed organizations can spend more of their ability navigating the organization than doing great work.

Which raises a different kind of question.

What conditions would make the best parts of me become much more valuable?

Your position changes your ability.

About Sean DeLaney

Sean DeLaney is a private advisor to a small number of founders, CEOs and investors, working with them over long periods of time as they navigate consequential decisions across business and life.

He is also the host of What Got You There, where he has spent more than a decade studying how exceptional people think, make decisions, develop their craft and live.

Learn more about Sean → SeanDeLaneyCoaching.com

00:00:00 The Lever and the Place to Stand
00:01:00 Environmental Leverage
00:02:40 Why Buffett's Patience Works
00:5:00 The Terrain Changes the Trait
00:8:00 Nature–Game Fit
00:11:00 Leading Teams

Environmental Leverage: You Position Changes Your Ability

What Got You There with Sean DeLaney

Environmental Leverage: You Position Changes Your Ability