9 lessons learned with “Originals” by Adam Grant
Breaking paradigm could also be the title of this book. Aside from showing the benefits of being original, the book also helps us to think about ways we can be more original and how we can help others to be more original.
As I have said before, I wasn’t much of a book reader up until this year. I always liked to read articles and watch talks, but books weren’t my passion. I understand these are different readings and, most of the time, they are complementary and, for this reason, I put my goal of reading 12 books in 2021! “Originals” by Adam Grant was my 3rd book of the year! So far, 3 months, 3 books!
I had read many pieces from Adam Grant and watched many of his talks, including the TED Talks. I share many of his beliefs and this was one of the reasons I decided to read his book. In this book, Adam Grant tries to prove that being original isn’t necessarily something we were born with. We can all practice being original and it is super important for companies to have original people. Here are 9 lessons I learned throughout the book:
Lesson 1: Being an entrepreneur is not the same as being a risk-taker. This was one of the myths I learned from Adam Grant: entrepreneurs are usually risk-averse as they like to mitigate risk. At first, I thought that those who were all-in on their ideas, also seen in my perspective as risk-takers, were the ones who built the most successful ventures. However, there was a study with thousands of entrepreneurs between the ages of 20s and 50s that proved me wrong. It concluded that those entrepreneurs who didn’t quit their jobs initially, seen by me as mitigating the risks, had a 33% less chance of failure than those who were into all or nothing.
Lesson 2: When we talk about being original, quantity is quality. The more we try, the better are the chances of getting the best idea. If we don’t try, we increase our chances of never making it. Besides, we usually have an issue when talking about our ideas: we are very bad at evaluating our ideas. Thus, we have to watch out for some misconceptions we might find on our way.
Lesson 3: We all have read many tips on how to avoid procrastinating or on how to be more productive. However, did you know there is a good outcome out of procrastinating? By procrastinating we are also “forced” to be open for improvisations, including an eye open for new opportunities and adaptation. However, there is always a limit of how much procrastination can be productive and how much it can harm our project, productivity, and even our creativity.
“Procrastination may be the enemy of productivity, but it can be a resource for creativity.”
Lesson 4: Many of us think that those who are most successful are the ones who are the first-movers, but this is not always true. There are several misconceptions about the benefits of being a first-mover. There are many difficulties that first-movers face that are not faced by those who follow, thus many of the successful companies were not first-movers. However, being a first-mover isn’t always a synonym of failure; it can be important in situations that require patent or situations with a network effect.
“Being original doesn’t require being first. It just means being different and better.”
Lesson 5: Having a successful coalition is more complex than just sharing a common goal. Sharing the same methods and means is key for a successful coalition! Thus, it is important to keep in mind that coalitions may not work if people start committed to the ultimate goal. For this reason, it is always better to start moderately, with small and short requests/goals assuring the commitment and alignment, before pursuing the large goal.
Lesson 6: The way we think can free us up and provide better outcomes for our decision. When facing a decision, our first thought is usually “which course of action will produce the best result”. This way we think about the risk and consequences of our actions. If we instead think “what would a person like me do in this situation”, we base our decision on who we are and on who we want to be.
Lesson 7: This was more of a curiosity than a real lesson, but it made me think about what influences our actions. We usually think that younger people are more risk-taker, as younger people usually have less to lose. However, did you know that the order of birth influences more than age? Usually, the second-child onward is more risk-taker than the firstborn. For example, a third-child (meaning, who has 2 older siblings) who is 80 years old is more likely to take risks than a firstborn who is 25 years old! Bill Gates is the second-child, Robert Norton Noyce was a third-child, Henry Ford was the fifth-child, Jack Ma is the second-child,…
Lesson 8: The way we phrase our requests the outcomes will vary. For example, if you see someone drinking and you don’t think this person should drive, we usually say “Don’t drink and drive”, but instead we should be saying “Don’t be a drunk driver”. The recipient will evaluate the choices differently.
“When we shift our emphasis from behavior to character, people evaluate choices differently. Instead of asking whether this behavior will achieve the results they want, they take actions because it is the right thing to do”
Lesson 9: Some emotions might not help us achieve the outcome we aim for. For example, being angry, afraid, or nervous might work as a blockage for us. However, suppressing it is hard. Saying “keep calm” for someone who is nervous is asking the person to suppress the nervous emotion with the calm one, which is a weaker emotion. Instead, we should convert strong emotions into others that are at least as strong, but that will propel us to move forward. Don’t be nervous nor afraid nor calm, be excited!
“Originals embrace the uphill battle, striving to make the world what it could be. (…) Becoming original is not the easiest path in the pursuit of happiness, but it leaves us perfectly poised for the happiness of pursuit.”
