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Adam Grant

@AdamMGrant

Organizational psychologist @Wharton. #1 NYT bestsellers: HIDDEN POTENTIAL, THINK AGAIN. Podcasts: Re:Thinking & WorkLife @TEDTalks. Diver.

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linkhttp://www.adamgrant.net calendar_today04-01-2013 01:59:16

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In toxic cultures, rest is taking your foot off the gas. You're forced to push yourself to exhaustion—burnout is a price to pay for excellence.

In healthy cultures, rest is a supply of fuel. You're expected to take regular reprieves—breaks are vital to gain and sustain energy.

In toxic cultures, rest is taking your foot off the gas. You're forced to push yourself to exhaustion—burnout is a price to pay for excellence. In healthy cultures, rest is a supply of fuel. You're expected to take regular reprieves—breaks are vital to gain and sustain energy.
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A sign of wisdom is thinking in probabilities rather than certainties.

Naïve people are arrogant. They claim to know what will definitely happen, and believe they're always right.

Wise people are humble. They explore what might happen, and admit they're often wrong.

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How to give feedback without being a jerk:

1. Be a coach, not a critic. Aim to help, not attack.

2. Don't assert opinion as fact. You're sharing your subjective reaction, not the objective truth.

3. Be honest, not brutal. Be direct in what you say, but kind in how you say it.

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Hope is not blind faith that things will get better. It’s a realistic belief that things can get better.

Despair is an illusion of certainty. Hope is an appreciation of possibility.

Change requires a way. There is no way without will. There is no will without hope.

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Young kids have wider circles of concern than adults.

Adults expect people to enjoy the misfortune of groups they dislike. But 3-5-year-olds expect people to care about everyone's suffering.

Compassion is an instinct—we don't have to learn it. We need to stop unlearning it.

Young kids have wider circles of concern than adults. Adults expect people to enjoy the misfortune of groups they dislike. But 3-5-year-olds expect people to care about everyone's suffering. Compassion is an instinct—we don't have to learn it. We need to stop unlearning it.
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Aiming for the best is a recipe for misery. The problem isn't high standards—it's always looking for better alternatives.

There's no such thing as a best job or best apartment. There's only a good fit for you.

A key to happiness is accepting options that meet your standards.…

Aiming for the best is a recipe for misery. The problem isn't high standards—it's always looking for better alternatives. There's no such thing as a best job or best apartment. There's only a good fit for you. A key to happiness is accepting options that meet your standards.…
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We can't control what others expect of us. We can decide whose expectations to internalize.

High expectations are targets to reach. When credible people believe in you, prove them right.

Low expectations are barriers to break. When ignorant people doubt you, prove them wrong.

We can't control what others expect of us. We can decide whose expectations to internalize. High expectations are targets to reach. When credible people believe in you, prove them right. Low expectations are barriers to break. When ignorant people doubt you, prove them wrong.
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Humility isn't a sign of low self-esteem. It's a mark of high self-awareness.

The goal isn't to deny your strengths. It's to see your strengths & shortcomings accurately. The first rule of improvement: recognize room for improvement.

Narcissism feeds ego. Humility fuels growth.

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The best way to open people's minds isn't to argue with them. It's to listen to them.

When people feel understood, they become less defensive and more reflective—and develop less extreme, more nuanced views.

Productive disagreements begin with curiosity, not persuasion.

The best way to open people's minds isn't to argue with them. It's to listen to them. When people feel understood, they become less defensive and more reflective—and develop less extreme, more nuanced views. Productive disagreements begin with curiosity, not persuasion.
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Don’t mistake completion for progress. Crossing tasks off a to-do list creates an illusion of momentum.

We often favor trivial tasks we can finish now over worthwhile tasks that take longer.

The projects that matter most should take priority over those that are closest to done.

Don’t mistake completion for progress. Crossing tasks off a to-do list creates an illusion of momentum. We often favor trivial tasks we can finish now over worthwhile tasks that take longer. The projects that matter most should take priority over those that are closest to done.
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The purpose of liberal arts education is not to build your career. It’s to broaden your mind.

You don’t have to justify a major based on job prospects. The only explanation necessary is “it interests me.”

The true value of college is improving your ability to think and learn.

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Strong relationships don’t need agreement. They need alignment.

Agreement is having identical opinions. Alignment is having shared values.

Agreement is taking the same path. Alignment is heading in the same direction.

Closeness is a matter of commitment, not consensus.

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“I am who I am” is not a sign of a strong identity. It’s a mark of a closed mind.

A rigid sense of self is a barrier to growth. It makes you a prisoner of your past.

Prior patterns don't have to dictate future decisions. Who you've been shouldn't limit who you become.

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Ding dong, the 5-day office week is dead. People are working nearly 1/3 of days remotely.

Flexibility is worth as much to people as an 8% raise. What we value most is skipping the commute. We dislike schlepping more than working.

Hybrid is the present as well as the future.…

Ding dong, the 5-day office week is dead. People are working nearly 1/3 of days remotely. Flexibility is worth as much to people as an 8% raise. What we value most is skipping the commute. We dislike schlepping more than working. Hybrid is the present as well as the future.…
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Impostor syndrome is not a clue that you're unqualified. It's a sign of hidden potential.

When you think others are overestimating you, it's more likely that you're underestimating yourself.

They have an outside view. They see capacity for growth that's not yet visible to you.

Impostor syndrome is not a clue that you're unqualified. It's a sign of hidden potential. When you think others are overestimating you, it's more likely that you're underestimating yourself. They have an outside view. They see capacity for growth that's not yet visible to you.
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Great education systems don't just invest in “gifted and talented” students. They bring out the best in all students.

Top schools create opportunities for teachers to specialize in their students—not only their subjects.

Deeper relationships unlock hidden potential.…

Great education systems don't just invest in “gifted and talented” students. They bring out the best in all students. Top schools create opportunities for teachers to specialize in their students—not only their subjects. Deeper relationships unlock hidden potential.…
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It's possible to be sexist without being hostile toward women.

Benevolent sexism is viewing women as warm but weak. It limits them to traditional gender roles.

We have to stop pigeonholing people based on their group. Gender is not a valid proxy for competence or character.

It's possible to be sexist without being hostile toward women. Benevolent sexism is viewing women as warm but weak. It limits them to traditional gender roles. We have to stop pigeonholing people based on their group. Gender is not a valid proxy for competence or character.
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Leaders are more likely adopt ideas when they're presented as questions rather than suggestions.

Data: Asking 'Have you considered...?' and 'What do you think of...?' garners support, especially if the boss has a big ego.

Advocacy can be threatening. Inquiry is empowering.

Leaders are more likely adopt ideas when they're presented as questions rather than suggestions. Data: Asking 'Have you considered...?' and 'What do you think of...?' garners support, especially if the boss has a big ego. Advocacy can be threatening. Inquiry is empowering.
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