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71 Inspirational Adam Grant Quotes (SUCCESS)

December 1, 2023December 1, 2023

Top 10 Most Famous Adam Grant Quotes (BEST)

“This is what I find most magnetic about successful givers: they get to the top without cutting others down, finding ways of expanding the pie that benefit themselves and the people around them. Whereas success is zero-sum in a group of takers, in groups of givers, it may be true that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
Adam Grant

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

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

Highly successful people have three things in common motivation, ability, and opportunity. — Highly successful people have three things in common: motivation, ability, and opportunity.

A hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it’s time to abandon some of your most treasured tools — and some of the most cherished parts of your identity. — A hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it’s time to abandon some of your most treasured tools — and some of the most cherished parts of your identity.

“If we want to forecast whether the originators of a novel idea will be successful, we need to look beyond the enthusiasm they express about their ideas and focus on the enthusiasm for execution that they reveal through their actions.”
Adam Grant

Changing your mind doesn’t make you a flip-flopper or a hypocrite. It means you were open to learning. — Changing your mind doesn’t make you a flip-flopper or a hypocrite. It means you were open to learning.

Focusing on results might be good for short-term performance, but it can be an obstacle to long-term learning. — Focusing on results might be good for short-term performance, but it can be an obstacle to long-term learning.

I think of productivity as using your time to accomplish things of value to you and others. — I think of productivity as using your time to accomplish things of value to you and others.

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. — 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.

12 Inspirational Adam Grant Quotes on Leadership

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 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.

Strong leaders engage their critics and make themselves stronger. Weak leaders silence their critics and make themselves weaker. — Strong leaders engage their critics and make themselves stronger. Weak leaders silence their critics and make themselves weaker.

The most effective leaders score high in both confidence and humility. — The most effective leaders score high in both confidence and humility.

What distinguishes the greatest leaders of our time, it's that success is very rarely a goal for them; it’s a byproduct of other goals that they have. — What distinguishes the greatest leaders of our time, it’s that success is very rarely a goal for them; it’s a byproduct of other goals that they have.

And they act in the face of risk, because their fear of not succeeding exceeds their fear of failing. — And they act in the face of risk, because their fear of not succeeding exceeds their fear of failing.

“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.”
Adam Grant

A good debate is not a war. It's not even a tug-of-war... it's more like a dance that hasn't been choreographed. — A good debate is not a war. It’s not even a tug-of-war… it’s more like a dance that hasn’t been choreographed.

To get real diversity of thought, you need to find the people who genuinely hold different views and invite them into the conversation.

“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.”
Adam Grant

No-one wants to hear everything that’s in your head. They just want you to live up to what comes out of your mouth.

Argue like you’re right and listen like you’re wrong.

For startups, there’s so much pivoting that’s required that if you have a bunch of sheep, you’re in bad shape.

10 Motivational Adam Grant Quotes on Creativity and Originality

“Conviction 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.”
Adam Grant

Passions are developed, not just discovered. — Passions are developed, not just discovered.

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

Creativity may be hard to nurture, but it's easy to thwart. — Creativity may be hard to nurture, but it’s easy to thwart.

To generate creative ideas, it’s important to start from an unusual place. But to explain those ideas, they have to be connected to something familiar.

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

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

Having a sense of security in one realm gives us the freedom to be original in another. — Having a sense of security in one realm gives us the freedom to be original in another.

If you want your children to bring original ideas into the world, you need to let them pursue their passions, not yours. — If you want your children to bring original ideas into the world, you need to let them pursue their passions, not yours.

“Creativity is generating ideas that are novel and useful. I define originals as people who go beyond dreaming up the ideas and take initiative to make their visions a reality.”
Adam Grant

4 Adam Grant Quotes on Procrastination (WONDER)

Procrastination is a vice when it comes to productivity, but it can be a virtue for creativity. — Procrastination is a vice when it comes to productivity, but it can be a virtue for creativity.

Procrastination gives you time to consider divergent ideas, to think in nonlinear ways, to make unexpected leaps. — Procrastination gives you time to consider divergent ideas, to think in nonlinear ways, to make unexpected leaps.

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. — 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.

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

12 Wise Adam Grant Quotes that Will Make You Think (WISDOM)

“In a heated argument, you can always stop and ask, ‘What evidence would change your mind?’ If the answer is ‘nothing,’ then there’s no point in continuing the debate.”
Adam Grant

Authenticity means erasing the gap between what you firmly believe inside and what you reveal to the outside world. — Authenticity means erasing the gap between what you firmly believe inside and what you reveal to the outside world.

Passionate people don’t wear their passion on their sleeves; they have it in their hearts. — Passionate people don’t wear their passion on their sleeves; they have it in their hearts.

We listen to views that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard.

We live in a rapidly changing world, where we need to spend as much time rethinking as we do thinking. — We live in a rapidly changing world, where we need to spend as much time rethinking as we do thinking.

“We don’t know how time and circumstances will change what we want and even who we want to be, and locking our life GPS onto a single target can give us the right directions to the wrong destination.”
Adam Grant

Once we hear the story and accept it as true, we rarely bother to question it.

It takes confident humility to admit that we're in a work in progress. — It takes confident humility to admit that we’re in a work in progress.

Arrogance leaves us blind to our weaknesses.

My past self was Mr Facts - I was too fixated on knowing. Now I'm more interested in finding out what I don't know. — My past self was Mr Facts – I was too fixated on knowing. Now I’m more interested in finding out what I don’t know.

Our identities are open systems, and so are our lives.

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

7 Adam Grant Quotes on Work Culture Success

“An employee made a mistake that cost the company $10 million, he walked into the office of Tom Watson, the C.E.O., expecting to get fired. ‘Fire you?’ Mr. Watson asked. ‘I just spent $10 million educating you.”
Adam Grant

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

Evidence shows that in learning cultures, organizations innovate more and make fewer mistakes. — Evidence shows that in learning cultures, organizations innovate more and make fewer mistakes.

If an organization values innovation, you can assume it's safe to speak up with new ideas, leaders will listen, and your voice matters. — If an organization values innovation, you can assume it’s safe to speak up with new ideas, leaders will listen, and your voice matters.

Talented people are attracted to those who care about them. — Talented people are attracted to those who care about them.

People are remarkably open to criticism when they believe it’s intended to help them. — People are remarkably open to criticism when they believe it’s intended to help them.

Listening well is more than a matter of talking less. It's a set of skills in asking and responding. — Listening well is more than a matter of talking less. It’s a set of skills in asking and responding.

5 Adam Grant Quotes to Inspire Success at Work and in Life

Our antidote to burnout is not necessarily less work. It could be more meaning.

There’s a wealth of evidence that people want to do meaningful work. — There’s a wealth of evidence that people want to do meaningful work.

Most of the jobs you get are more or less through word of mouth, or a recommendation. It’s really important to have a good reputation. — Most of the jobs you get are more or less through word of mouth, or a recommendation. It’s really important to have a good reputation.

Entrepreneurs who kept their day jobs had 33 percent lower odds of failure than those who quit. — Entrepreneurs who kept their day jobs had 33 percent lower odds of failure than those who quit.

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

11 Adam Grant Quotes on Giving and Taking

“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?”
Adam Grant

Whereas success is zero-sum in a group of takers, in groups of givers, it may be true that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. — Whereas success is zero-sum in a group of takers, in groups of givers, it may be true that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

“Successful givers secure their oxygen masks before coming to the assistance of others. Although their motives may be less purely altruistic, their actions prove more altruistic, because they give more.”
Adam Grant

If you want to be a generous giver, you have to watch out for selfish takers.

“Being a nice person is about courtesy: you’re friendly, polite, agreeable, and accommodating. When people believe they have to be nice in order to give, they fail to set boundaries, rarely say no, and become pushovers, letting others walk all over them.”
Adam Grant

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

“If we create networks with the sole intention of getting something, we won’t succeed. We can’t pursue the benefits of networks; the benefits ensue from investments in meaningful activities and relationships.”
Adam Grant

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

“Givers reject the notion that interdependence is weak. Givers are more likely to see interdependence as a source of strength, a way to harness the skills of multiple people for a greater good.”
Adam Grant

The fear of being judged as weak or naïve prevents many people from operating like givers at work.

“People tend to have one of three ‘styles’ of interaction. There are takers, who are always trying to serve themselves; matchers, who are always trying to get equal benefit for themselves and others; and givers, who are always trying to help people.”
Adam Grant

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(MUST READ) Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know — Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

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