Adam Grant
American organizational psychologist and author, born 1981
54 quotes.
Quotes by Adam Grant
- A mark of lifelong learners is recognizing that they can learn something from everyone they meet.
- A sign of emotional intelligence is refusing to inflict a bad mood on others.
- A stable sense of self-worth stems from putting identity above image: worrying less about what others think of us than what we think of ourselves.
- A strong work ethic doesn’t guarantee strong ethics.
- After all, the purpose of learning isn't to affirm our beliefs; it's to evolve our beliefs.
- Along with intellectual curiosity, we need interpersonal curiosity. Taking an interest in other people is the beginning of empathy.
- Anger and frustration are rarely caused by other people’s actions. They’re caused by how you interpret their actions. To change your reactions, question your explanations. You know what they did, but not why. New interpretations pave the way to new emotions.
- Authenticity without boundaries is careless. Authenticity without empathy is selfish.
- Being professional is upholding high standards in low moments. It’s caring to do a good job even in jobs we don’t love; treat others with respect even if we’re disrespected; and do right even if we’re wronged.
- Candor is being direct in what you say. Kindness is being considerate in how you say it.
- Character is defined by your ethics, not just by your work ethic.
- Don’t help people because you want something in return. Help them because it’s one of your values – or because you believe in them and their values.
- Don’t just follow people because you agree with what they think. Follow them because you’re intrigued by how they think – and how they make you think.
- Embrace confident humility: argue like you're right, listen like you're wrong.
- From afar, we admire talent. Up close, what counts most is character. You can impress people with your skills, but you earn their trust by standing for something greater than yourself.
- Generosity is not a loan to repay or a debt to settle. It's a gift to appreciate.
- Generosity isn’t saying yes to every request. It’s helping when you can make a unique contribution. Generosity isn’t sacrificing yourself for others. It’s helping when it won’t exhaust you – and when it energizes you.
- Happiness is not a goal to pursue. It’s a byproduct of leading a life of meaning and engagement.
- Hypocrisy is when your actions fail to live up to your words. Integrity is when your actions guide your choice of words.
- If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.
- If you can’t handle the truth, people will stop telling you the truth.
- If your highest value is loyalty, you run the risk of compromising your integrity. Allegiance to people matters. Allegiance to principles matters more.
- Ignorance is a choice. Curiosity is a cure. It motivates people to educate themselves.
- In the long run, the people we trust the most are those who have the courage to be sincere.
- Integrity is holding ourselves to the same high standards that we have for others.
- It pays to be smart — but it pays more to be determined, disciplined, dependable, and driven.
- It’s easy to cheer for people when they’re up. A better test of character is whether you keep rooting for them when they’re down. Don’t be a fair-weather fan of people. They need support more when they’re struggling than when they’re succeeding.
- Leaders can command people to act, but can’t command people to feel. The more you push people to respect and trust you, the more they push back. Loyalty can’t be demanded. It has to be earned.
- Many people procrastinate because they’re waiting for their motivation to rise. They forget that getting started is what leads their motivation to rise.
- Parents focus too much on grades and goals, and too little on generosity. Kids raised to be kind are more successful in school and work — and happier too. At family dinner, don’t just ask kids what they achieved. Ask who they helped and who helped them.
- Passion brings immediate joy. Values provide lasting meaning.
- Personality is how you respond on a typical day, character is how you show up on a hard day.
- Practice makes perfect, but it doesn’t make new.
- Productivity comes from making habits of doing. Creativity comes from breaking habits of thinking. Innovation comes from toggling between novel ideas and familiar routines.
- Resting is not a waste of time. It’s an investment in well-being. Relaxing is not a sign of laziness. It’s a source of energy.
- Snowplow parents prepare the road for kids. Responsible parents prepare kids for the road. Resilience is built not by eliminating struggle, but by normalizing it. Teach kids to see obstacles as temporary hurdles.
- Success is more than achieving your goals. It’s living your values.
- The highest accomplishment is to be a person of generosity, integrity, curiosity, humility, and wisdom.
- The highest form of self-confidence is believing in your ability to learn.
- The more respect you give to others, the more you earn.