- Balance risk by hedging, don’t “bet the farm.”
- Make new ideas feel familiar using strategic framing.
Book Summary
| Language | English (287) |
|---|---|
| Published On | 2016 (5) |
| Timeperiod | 21st Century (113) |
| Genre | business (16), nonfiction (88) |
| Category | Business (22) |
| Topics | creativity (9), culture (6), innovation (3), leadership (31), risk (7) |
| Audiences | creatives (13), entrepreneurs (91), leaders (141), managers (69), students (206) |
Table of Contents
- What’s Inside Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
- Book Summary
- Chapter Summary
- Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World Insights
- Usage & Application
- Life Lessons
- FAQ
- Famous Quotes from Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
What’s Inside Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
Synopsis
Grant shows how original thinkers spot better ideas, reduce risk without playing it safe, persuade skeptics, and build cultures that welcome dissent, so you can champion change at work and in life without burning bridges or stalling your career.
Book Summary
- Hedge risk, keep a safety net while testing bold ideas.
- Use strategic procrastination to incubate more original solutions.
- Pitch by making the unfamiliar feel familiar (analogy, labeling, norms).
- Enlist agreeable people to sell and disagreeable allies to challenge.
- Design cultures that normalize dissent and kill groupthink.
Chapter Summary
- Creative Destruction – Why originals win by questioning defaults and managing, not maximizing risk.
- Blind Inventors and One Eyed Investors – Spotting and vetting promising ideas; who accurately predicts what will work.
- Out on a Limb – Speaking truth to power with evidence, allies, and careful framing.
- Fools Rush In – The timing advantage of strategic procrastination and avoiding first-mover traps.
- Goldilocks and the Trojan Horse – Making radical ideas palatable through moderate messaging and familiar hooks.
- Rebel with a Cause – Motivate with values and mission; channel dissent toward shared goals.
- Rethinking Groupthink – Build cultures that encourage challenge, candor, and diverse viewpoints.
- Rocking the Boat and Keeping It Steady – Lead change while protecting relationships and stability.
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World Insights
| Book Title | Originals |
| Book Subtitle | How Non-Conformists Move the World |
| Author | Adam Grant |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Translation | None (originally published in English). |
| Details | Publication Year/Date: 2016; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-0525429562; Last edition: Viking Press 2016; Number of pages: 336 |
| Goodreads Rating | 3.95 / 5 – 57,430 ratings – 3,780 reviews |
Author Bio
Adam Grant studies how people find motivation and meaning, and how leaders build better workplaces. He teaches at the Wharton School as the Saul P. Steinberg Professor of Management and hosts the TED podcasts ReThinking and WorkLife. His research and the Adam Grant book list—Give and Take, Originals, Option B, Think Again, and Hidden Potential—have reached millions of readers worldwide. Trained at Harvard (BA) and the University of Michigan (MS/PhD), he writes for the New York Times and advises organizations on culture, generosity, and innovation.
| Official Website | Facebook | X| Instagram | YouTube
Usage & Application
How to Use This Book
Struggling to sell a bold idea? Use Grant’s playbook.
Scenario 1: You’re pitching a new product line. Keep your day job (hedge risk), open with the weaknesses to build trust, then frame benefits with familiar analogies (“It’s Spotify for B2B training”).
Scenario 2: You want to fix a broken process. Start small: gather disagreeable allies to stress-test the proposal, then recruit agreeable teammates to champion it. Show data, cite norms (“3 teams already cut cycle time 28%”), and propose a pilot to lower perceived risk.
Scenario 3: Personal career pivot. Procrastinate productively, explore options and test micro-bets (freelance, weekend projects) before the leap.
Next step: pick one idea, run a 2–4 week pilot, and present results with a clear ask.
Video Book Summary
Life Lessons
- Originals balance bold bets with safety nets, courage isn’t recklessness.
- Timing matters: strategic procrastination can improve creativity and outcomes.
- Persuasion works better when you admit weaknesses and anchor ideas to familiar frames.
- Dissent is a feature, not a bug, design cultures that reward thoughtful challenge.
- Coalitions win change: combine disagreeable testers with agreeable sellers.