Quotes from Adam Grant

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

In the mind of a Giver, the definition of success itself takes on a distinctive meaning: Whereas Takers view success as attaining results that are superior to others, and Matchers see success in terms of balancing individual accomplishments with fairness to others, Givers are inclined to follow (Peter Audet)'s lead, characterizing success as individual achievements that have a positive impact on others.

Before women gained the right to vote in America, many "had never before considered their degraded status as anything but natural," historian Jean Baker observes. As the suffrage movement gained momentum, "a growing number of women were beginning to see that custom, religious precept, and law were in fact man-made and therefore reversible.

We often favor feeling right, over being right.

As Chris Granger, executive vice president at the NBA, explains, "Talented people are attracted to those who care about them. When you help someone get promoted out of your team, it's a short-term loss, but it's a clear long-term gain. It's easier to attract people, because word gets around that your philosophy is to help people.

If knowledge is power, knowing what we don't know is wisdom.

We believe that great creators are born with a biological immunity to risk. They're wired to embrace uncertainty and ignore social approval; they simply don't worry about the costs of non-conformity the way the rest of us do. They're programmed to be iconoclasts, rebels, revolutionaries, troublemakers, mavericks, and contrarians who are impervious to fear, rejection, and ridicule.

Psychologists discovered that there are two routes to achievement: conformity and originality. Conformity means following the crowd down conventional paths and maintaining the status quo. Originality is taking the road less traveled, championing a set of novel ideas that go against the grain but ultimately make things better.

After all, the purpose of learning isn't to affirm our beliefs; it's to evolve our beliefs.

In the deepest sense of the word, a friend is someone who sees more potential in you than you see in yourself, someone who helps you become the best version of yourself. ?

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

If we communicate the vision behind our ideas, the purpose guiding our products, people will flock to us.

The personality trait most associated with an interest in the arts is called openness, the tendency to seek out novelty in intellectual, aesthetic, and emotional pursuits.

Chip Conley, the renowned entrepreneur who founded Joie de Vivre Hotels, explains, "Being a giver is not good for a 100-yard dash, but it's valuable in a marathon

If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse." Instead, creators ought to build a car and see if customers will drive it.

Being a scientist is not just a profession. It's a frame of mind...Scientific tools are not reserved for people in white coats and beakers. Hypotheses have as much place in our lives as they do in the lab. Experiments can inform our daily decisions.

Minority viewpoints are important, not because they tend to prevail but because they stimulate divergent attention and thought, " finds Berkeley psychologist Charlan Nemeth, one of the world's leading experts on group decisions. "As a result, even when they are wrong they contribute to the detection of novel solutions and decisions that, on balance, are qualitatively better". Dissenting opinions are useful even when they're wrong.

Overall, on average, happier people earn more money, get higher performance ratings, make better decisions, negotiate sweeter deals, and contribute more to their organizations. Happiness alone accounts for about 10 percent of the variation between employees and job performance.

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

Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives

Originals is a fascinating, eye-opening read that will help you not just recognize your own unique gifts, but find the strength to challenge conventional wisdom to bring them to life.

he's incredibly responsive, which is one of the best characteristics you can have in an investor. He'll get back to you any hour—day or night—quickly, on anything that matters.

Originality is what everybody wants, but there's a sweet spot," Rob Minkoff explains. "If it's not original enough, it's boring or trite. If it's too original, it may be hard for the audience to understand. The goal is to push the envelope, not tear the envelope.

Our companies, communities, and countries don't necessarily suffer from a shortage of novel ideas. They're constrained by a shortage of people who excel at choosing the right novel ideas.