My kid is a sprinter by nature-- and mostly, life is built around rewarding border collies and not cheetahs...
Perversely, first impressions go a long way, going into a job interview with a robust understanding of the company, showing up the first day, diving in and figuring out the job, the procedures, the people, etc. It leaves a lasting impression. There is interesting work for sprinters out there; such as a wide variety of consulting based work.
To add on to the notion of studying, I never figured out what that is myself. And I know I couldn't teach it to my DS. But I know how to learn and approach a discipline or a body of knowledge with the intent to devour it whole. I don't know that I'd advocate teaching a kid to completely ignore homework and the intended lesson plan.
