Adam Grant

One of the clearest signs of learning is rethinking your assumptions and revising your opinions. 21 things I rethought in 2021: a thread...

The most important skill for creativity is no longer original thinking. It’s taste and tenacity. In the age of AI, ideas are abundant. Good judgment and execution are scarce. The future belongs to those who excel at finding and amplifying the signal in the noise.

Women are offered lower pay than men for the same job. Across >700k jobs, women were offered 5.5% less money than men, even after controlling for education, experience, employer, occupation, industry, and location. The value of work shouldn’t depend on the gender of the worker.

The books you love are a window into your personality. •Mystery & self-improvement attract conscientious people •Sci-fi, psychology, philosophy draw open-minded people •Memoir & horror appeal to neurotic people Reading doesn't just shape our views. It reveals what we're like.

Too many managers reward people for the passion they show instead of the value they add. Evidence: Even when they do worse or no better than their peers, people who exude enthusiasm get more praise and promotions. What counts is not expressed emotion. It's contribution.

A sign of emotional intelligence is the ability to laugh at yourself. 6 studies: After making small mistakes, people are seen as warmer and more capable if they're amused instead of embarrassed. Taking your responsibilities seriously but your ego lightly is a core life skill.

Connection is not about how much time we spend together. It's about how much joy and meaning we create together. Announcing my new book: adamgrant.net/book/vibe/

Telling kids to sit still doesn’t build discipline. It stifles imagination. Evidence: When students are given freedom to fidget and wiggle in their seats, they pay just as much attention—and generate more creative ideas. Physical activity unlocks mental agility.

The cure for ignorance is not information. It's humility and curiosity. Facts can be easily dismissed. What motivates people to gain insight is recognizing gaps in their understanding and wanting to find out more. The root of lifelong learning is knowing how little we know.

Our highest loyalty doesn’t belong to people or parties. It belongs to principles. If you wouldn’t accept it from the “other side,” you shouldn’t accept it from yours. Integrity is upholding your values even when your own group violates them.

Introverts aren’t necessarily better listeners than extraverts. New data: In conversations and meetings, extraverts are at least as likely to show enthusiasm, avoid dominating and interrupting, and focus on others. Listening is not a personality trait—it's a behavioral skill.

Multitasking isn't just unproductive—it's stressful too. Average attention on a screen has fallen from 2.5min in 2004 to 75sec in 2012 to 47sec today. Rapid switching puts our nervous systems on alert. The best way to keep calm and carry on is to focus on one thing at a time.

Early specialization is overrated. Generalists excel over time. Data on >34k stars in sports, music, science, and chess: Focusing on a single field predicts a faster rise, but cross-training foreshadows a higher peak. The most successful adults start off as well-rounded kids.

People who post incessantly about politics don’t represent the population. They represent the least intelligent, least caring subset. Data: The 2 robust predictors of online political activity are low cognitive ability and high psychopathy. Don't mistake outliers for the norm.

Read my full article here: nytimes.com/2025/12/29/opi…

People are more drawn to arrogant leaders in an uncertain world. They mistake swagger for strength and skill. Narcissists see power as an opportunity to seize, not a responsibility to serve. Great leaders balance confidence with humility and put their missions above their egos.

The best way to improve is not to focus on results. It’s to focus on habits. 27 studies: Behavior change goals are 3x more effective than outcome goals in boosting performance. Growth depends on altering the actions we can control. A key to progress is concentrating on process.

Being in nature reduces fatigue and boosts attention. 34 experiments: After walking, playing, and learning in parks, forests, or water, kids & teens show better focus and self-control. Not all outdoor time is equal. Green and blue spaces are more refreshing than urban settings.

Most divides aren't due to differing values. They're driven by focusing on different things. After a 10-minute talk, people with opposing views are less polarized a week later. They find more common ground than expected. Prejudice festers in silence. Civil dialogue opens minds.

Success is not about finishing everything you start. It’s about knowing when to grit and when to quit. 235 studies: When people adjust their goals and plans in the face of challenges, they make more progress—and feel less depressed and anxious. The ultimate flex is flexibility.

"Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions" doesn't eliminate problems. It stops people from raising the hardest problems. Leaders need to hear what's broken even if the fix is unclear. A better option: “Bring me problems, as long as you’re willing to be part of the solution"