Be
st-selling author Adam Grant has done it again. In his first book, “Give and Take”, Grant gave the reader a provocative and refreshing perspective on how some people give of themselves and how people take from others. In his newest book, “Originals”, takes a similar look at how non-conformists, “trailblazers” as he calls them, change the world. Similar to his first book, the author weaves an enormous amount of research and data combined with compelling personal stories to help the reader understand how to think differently.
Here are several of my favorite takeaways from the book:
- “Triple the number of ideas you generate”. Grant gives us a number of examples of great innovators who succeeded primarily because they were able to produce lots of ideas. From such an abundance of possibilities then comes a scarce number of great great innovations.
- “Procrastinate strategically”. Grant tells us that it’s okay to take a break when we’re in the middle of brainstorming or trying to make a big decision. Good ideas and decisions often need time to incubate.
- “ Highlight the reasons not to support your idea”. I love the idea of describing three weaknesses in your idea and than making a case for how to overcome those weaknesses.
- “Speak to a different audience”. Instead of asking people friendly to your idea for feedback, seek out other people who may disagree with you.
- “Shift from exit interviews to entry interviews”. Why do we wait until an employee leaves our company to ask for their ideas? When they are new, they still have more of an “outsider” perspective on our company. Great time to ask for their thoughts.
I loved this book. Filled with great stories and leadership insights. Are you an “Original”?