Give and Take

As a budding professional I was told not to be so kind to others, so I wasn’t taken advantage of.

Changing who I was and wanted to be didn’t seem like the right recipe for my success. Grant’s debut book has likely had the most impact on how I show up in my career and in life – that being a giver can be the key to our success and fulfillment. A must read for anyone who wants to do well while doing good.

I’ve always believed in the “Law of Reciprocity” and how it can drive resilience and holistic wealth.

The dynamics of collaboration, giving of ourselves, even when we are in a time of grief or facing a setback is important when looking at how the most successful people bounce back. Resilience also stems from how we interact with people and our relationships.

Adam Grant explores so many different facets in this book that can help to build resilience. Adam also spells out how not to be a “door mat” so if you are always a giver and always engaging in self-sacrifice… show more.

Give and Take presents the literature on pro-social behavior in organizations in a reader-friendly format.

Grant combines storytelling with evidence-based insights in a way that few other social scientists can. The analysis largely focuses on the individual – that is what you can expect as a “giver”, “taker” or “matcher”. However, the insights also say a lot about what organizations can do to create cultures that promote helping and, no less importantly, help-seeking. 

As one who studies interpersonal relations at work, this book was a wake up call about the need to present evidence-based research on critical workplace issues in… show more.

There have been a number of books written over the years supporting the theory that it’s better to give than receive—and Adam Grant’s Give and Take is one of the best.

Adam breaks down the different types of people in the world: givers, takers, and matchers. And he shows us that the givers—the ones who give without expecting anything in return—are the most successful in life and in business. 

This book makes a wonderful case for the power of generosity, and how helping others can actually benefit us in the long run.

It's a must-read for anyone who wants to… show more.

Wharton Prof Adam Grant, one of my favorite authors, has a very refreshing take on leadership.

He says today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others: most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. The takers, according to Grant, are people who are trying to get as much as possible from that person and contribute as little as they can in return.

At the other end of the spectrum are the people he refers to as ‘givers’. These people are not givers in the sense of being charitable, or being volunteers or donating time or money—they… show more.

I love all of Adam Grant’s books, which challenge our thinking about conventional behaviour inside organisations based on modern psychological research. 

This one is his most powerful where he challenges the myth or convention that you come off best when you act in self-interest and come off worst if you reach out to help others. Throughout the book, Grant proves that you can thrive best when helping others to thrive around you. 

A brilliant argument for why we need to shift behaviours inside organisation and across society to create a more collaborative, compassionate world.

Life is full of givers and takers…we all know givers who always take time to help others, and takers, who are always driven to help only themselves. Which group is happier, and more financially successful? The answer might surprise you. Adam Grant provides science to help you understand how giving the right way can be the key to changing your career trajectory, and your life.  

Full disclosure that I sit on some company advisory boards along with Grant. However, long before that became a reality I was a huge Adam Grant fan. Both as a fellow professor and writer. In particular, Grant’s breakthrough book Give and Take. Grant reminds us that if you look at life as a dog-eat-dog world then you will remain a dog. This book reminds us of what we know intrinsically but we so often forget in our quest to get ahead. 

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Give and… show more.

This book is amazing for entrepreneurs, but really for all people, to understand the dynamics of human relationships, and why givers win in the long run time and time again. It is tempting as an entrepreneur to be out for oneself, but this book helped show me why looking out for others and serving them - your customers, your prospects, your employees, the media, and the world - will serve you best in the long run.