For generations, we've been stuck with a cookie-cutter mold for success that requires us to be the same as everyone else, only better. This "standard formula" works for some people but leaves most of us feeling disengaged and frustrated. As much as we might dislike the standard formula, it seems like there's no other practical path to financial security and a fulfilling life. But what if there is?

In the Dark Horse Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, bestselling author and acclaimed thought leader Todd Rose and neuroscientist Ogi Ogas studied women and men who achieved impressive success even though nobody saw them coming. Dark horses blaze their own trail to a life of happiness and prosperity. Yet what is so remarkable is that hidden inside their seemingly one-of-a-kind journeys are practical principles for personal development that work for anyone, no matter who you are or what you hope to achieve. This mold-breaking approach doesn't depend on you SAT scores, who you know, or how much money you have. The secret is a powerful mindset shift that can be expressed in plain English: Harness your individuality in the pursuit of fulfillment to achieve excellence.

In Dark Horse, Rose and Ogas show how the four elements of the dark horse mindset empower you to unlock your potential and consistently make the right choices that fit your unique interests, abilities, and circumstances, guiding you to a life of passion, purpose, and achievement.

This book reveals the mold-breaking approach used by dark horses to achieve lasting fulfillment:

A Framework for Fulfillment: Move beyond the cookie-cutter mold for success by learning to harness your unique interests and abilities—the true secret to achieving excellence.
Counterintuitive Strategies: Learn from the journeys of unconventional achievers studied in the Dark Horse Project at Harvard, who found prosperity without high SAT scores, powerful connections, or family money.
Engineering Passion and Purpose: Discover how to make choices that fit who you are, turning the work you do into a source of passion and a life of meaningful achievement.
Focus on the Journey, Not the Destination: Understand why setting rigid, long-term goals can be a trap and how focusing on immediate, fulfilling choices is the most reliable path to a successful life.