Adam Grant

“Productive givers focus on acting in the long-term best interests of others, even if it's not pleasant. They have the courage to give the critical feedback we prefer not to hear, but truly n...”

“When you procrastinate, you're more likely to let your mind wander. That gives you a better chance of stumbling onto the unusual and spotting unexpected patterns.”

“We all have original ideas. Even if we don't see ourselves as supercreative or as wild nonconformists, we have insights every day about how the world around us could be better. It might be a...”

“Takers believe in a zero-sum world, and they end up creating one where bosses, colleagues and clients don't trust them. Givers build deeper and broader relationships - people are rooting for...”

“Bragging about yourself violates norms of modesty and politeness - and if you were really competent, your work would speak for itself.”

“From a relationship perspective, givers build deeper and broader connections.”

“Teams need the opportunity to learn about each other's capabilities and develop productive routines. So once we get the right people on the bus, let's make sure they spend some time driving...”

“Leaders who master emotions can rob us of our capacities to reason. If their values are out of step with our own, the results can be devastating.”

“When I think about voting, I can skip it and still see myself as a good citizen. But when I think about being a voter, now the choice reflects on my character. It casts a shadow.”

“Power frees us from the chains of conformity.”

“In college, my idea of a productive day was to start writing at 7 A.M. and not leave my chair until dinnertime.”

“To grow, people need to be challenged.”

“I try to get as close as I can to cleaning out my inbox every night.”

“To get important work done, most leaders organize people into teams. They believe that when people collaborate toward a common goal, great things can happen. Yet in reality, the whole is oft...”

“One of the signs of a bad coworker is a pattern of persistent undermining - intentionally hindering a colleague's success, reputation, or relationships.”

“The opposite of an underminer is a supporter. When colleagues are supportive, they go out of their way to be givers rather than takers, working to enhance our productivity, make us look good...”

“Kids who evolve into creative adults tend to have a strong moral compass.”

“I love discovering compelling new ideas and doing what I can to help spread the word about them.”

“It's true that every leader needs followers. We can't all be nonconformists at every moment, but conformity is dangerous - especially for an entity in formation.”

“Conformity is dangerous.”