Adam Grant Quotes

Every time we interact with another person at work, we have a choice to make: do we try to claim as much value as we can, or contribute value without worrying about what we receive in return?

Focus attention and energy on making a difference in the lives of others, and success might follow as a by-product.

The more I help out, the more successful I become. But I measure success in what it has done for the people around me. That is the real accolade.

The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed.

Procrastinate strategically... Procrastination may be the enemy of productivity but it can be a valuable resource for creativity.

Being a giver is not good for a 100-yard dash, but it’s valuable in a marathon.

If we want a better original idea, we must generate our own before we screen others' suggestions.

Dissenting opinions are useful even when they're wrong. So instead of speaking to highly agreeable audiences, target suggestions to people with a history of originality.

Good guys are most likely to finish last, but also most likely to finish first.

Enemies make better allies than frenemies.

When you put off a task, you buy yourself time to engage in divergent thinking rather than foreclosing on one particular idea.

When you're dealing with an ambivalent relationship, you're constantly on guard, grappling with questions of trust.

Negative relationships are unpleasant but predictable.

For women to achieve equal representation in leadership roles, it's important that they have the backing of men as well as women.

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

I have two rules for a great book: make me think and make me smile.

When a salesperson truly cares about you, trust forms, and you're more likely to buy, come back for repeat business, and refer new customers.

By looking on the bright side, we'll activate enthusiasm and turn on the go system.

In the conversation about women in leadership, male voices are noticeably absent.

The mark of higher education isn't the knowledge you accumulate in your head. It's the skills you gain about how to learn.

It's ironic that when you go through a tragedy, you appreciate more. You realize how fragile life is and that there are so many things to still be thankful for.

Instead of assuming that emotional intelligence is always useful, we need to think more carefully about where and when it matters.

Some of the greatest moments in human history were fueled by emotional intelligence.

The culture of a workplace - an organization's values, norms and practices - has a huge impact on our happiness and success.

When people are depending on us, we end up finding strength we didn't know we had.

From a motivation perspective, helping others enriches the meaning and purpose of our own lives, showing us that our contributions matter and energizing us to work harder, longer, and smarter.

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

Rather than looking outward in an attempt to predict the outcome, you turn inward to your identity. You base the decision on who you are--or who you want to be.

Convictions in our ideas is dangerous not only because it leaves us vulnerable to false positives, but also because it stops us from generating the requisite variety to reach our creative potential.

Practice makes perfect, but it doesn’t make new. The gifted learn to play magnificent Mozart melodies and beautiful Beethoven symphonies, but never compose their own original scores.

Practice makes perfect, but it doesn’t make new.

Practice makes perfect, but it doesn’t make new

Originality brings more bumps in the road, yet it leaves us with more happiness and a greater sense of meaning.