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The Knowledge Project Podcast

Adam Grant: Givers, Takers, and the Resilient Mind [The Knowledge Project Ep. #22]


You’re not burned out. You’re helping the wrong people.

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant explains why givers are either the most successful or the most exploited and how to avoid becoming the latter. This conversation covers reciprocity, resilience, culture design, parenting, and the brutal myth of balance. It is required listening if you want to do meaningful work without losing yourself.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Transcript

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

  • How to tell if you are a giver or a taker (Spoiler: if you just told yourself you’re a giver, you might be in for a rude awakening)
  • How Adam filters down hundreds of ideas and opportunities to the select few he focuses on
  • How to tell if your business idea is a winner or a huge waste of time
  • Why “quick to start and slow to finish” is great advice for budding entrepreneurs
  • How to nurture creativity and resilience in your children (or team culture)
  • How to create positive competitive environments that bring out the best in people
  • Adam’s two core family values and how he instills them in his children
  • “Mental time travel” and how it can make you resilient to any challenge or obstacle
  • Why “how can I be more productive” is the wrong question to ask (and what to ask instead)
  • How Adam and I each address the topic of work/life balance

And so much more.

Listen and learn.

Transcript

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More Episodes

Outliers: Anna Wintour—Vogue [The Knowledge Project Ep. #233]

The job was editor-in-chief. The goal was to become the platform. And she did. Once she made it to the top, she didn’t just edit Vogue. She …

Listen NowOutliers: Anna Wintour—Vogue [The Knowledge Project Ep. #233]

Reed Hastings: The Netflix Playbook for Culture, Judgment, and Scale [The Knowledge Project Ep. #232]

How do you build a high-performance culture without turning your company into the Hunger Games? Reed Hastings, co-founder and former CEO of …

Listen NowReed Hastings: The Netflix Playbook for Culture, Judgment, and Scale [The Knowledge Project Ep. #232]

Outliers: Harvey Firestone—Men and Rubber [The Knowledge Project Ep. #231]

Most business leaders panic in a crisis. Harvey Firestone thrived. When a brutal recession hit, he didn’t flinch. “The situation …

Listen NowOutliers: Harvey Firestone—Men and Rubber [The Knowledge Project Ep. #231]
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The Knowledge Project

A podcast about mastering the best of what other people have already figured out. The Knowledge Project focuses on insights and lessons that never expire. You’ll walk away from every episode with actionable insights that help you get better results and live a more meaningful life.

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