Being a nice person is about courtesy: you're friendly, polite, agreeable, and accommodating. When people believe they have to be nice in order to give, they fail to set boundaries, rarely say no, and become pushovers, letting others walk all over them.

Adam Grant

Categorized in : You Walk People Believe

Every time we interact with another person at work, we have a choice to make: do we try to claim as much value as we can, or contribute value without worrying about what we receive in return?

worry time appreciation

Focus attention and energy on making a difference in the lives of others, and success might follow as a by-product.

making-a-difference differences focus

The more I help out, the more successful I become. But I measure success in what it has done for the people around me. That is the real accolade.

real successful people

People tend to have one of three 'styles' of interaction. There are takers, who are always trying to serve themselves; matchers, who are always trying to get equal benefit for themselves and others; and givers, who are always trying to help people.

always-trying style people

The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed. by Adam Grant

The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed.

helping-others meaningful way

Procrastinate strategically... Procrastination may be the enemy of productivity but it can be a valuable resource for creativity.

creativity procrastination enemy

Being a giver is not good for a 100-yard dash, but it’s valuable... by Adam Grant

Being a giver is not good for a 100-yard dash, but it’s valuable in a marathon.

giver marathon yards

Most people believe that great leaders are distinguished by their ability to give compelling answers. This profound book shatters that assumption, showing that the more vital skill is asking the right questions…. Berger poses many fascinating questions, including this one: What if companies had mission questions rather than mission statements? This is a book everyone ought to read—without question.

skills believe book

This is what I find most magnetic about successful givers: they get to the top without cutting others down, finding ways of expanding the pie that benefit themselves and the people around them. Whereas success is zero-sum in a group of takers, in groups of givers, it may be true that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

cutting zero successful

Dissenting opinions are useful even when they're wrong. So instead of speaking to highly agreeable audiences, target suggestions to people with a history of originality.

suggestions target people

If we want a better original idea, we must generate our own befor... by Adam Grant

If we want a better original idea, we must generate our own before we screen others' suggestions.

suggestions want ideas

Good guys are most likely to finish last, but also most likely to... by Adam Grant

Good guys are most likely to finish last, but also most likely to finish first.

lasts guy firsts

Enemies make better allies than frenemies. by Adam Grant

Enemies make better allies than frenemies.

allies enemy

When you put off a task, you buy yourself time to engage in divergent thinking rather than foreclosing on one particular idea.

divergent ideas thinking

When you're dealing with an ambivalent relationship, you're constantly on guard, grappling with questions of trust.

ambivalent grappling

Negative relationships are unpleasant but predictable. by Adam Grant

Negative relationships are unpleasant but predictable.

predictable negative

The mark of higher education isn't the knowledge you accumulate in your head. It's the skills you gain about how to learn.

your you education knowledge

It's ironic that when you go through a tragedy, you appreciate more. You realize how fragile life is and that there are so many things to still be thankful for.

you appreciate thankful life

For years, I believed that anything worth doing was worth doing early. In graduate school, I submitted my dissertation two years in advance. In college, I wrote my papers weeks early and finished my thesis four months before the due date. My roommates joked that I had a productive form of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

roommates doing college school

If an organization values innovation, you can assume it's safe to speak up with new ideas, leaders will listen, and your voice matters.

you innovation speak ideas