Granted

Granted, by Adam Grant, is a newsletter focused on psychology, work, and broader societal issues. It covers themes such as the impact of astrology, email etiquette, toxic positivity, leadership, book recommendations, the concept of hidden potential, and the importance of generosity and kindness. Grant explores scientific insights, offers advice for personal and professional growth, and challenges common beliefs and practices.

Psychology Workplace Culture Leadership and Management Personal Development Communication Strategies Scientific Criticism Book Recommendations Educational Practices Societal Issues

The hottest Substack posts of Granted

And their main takeaways

GRANTED: The new books to wrap up the year

0 implied HN points • 21 Nov 21
📚 Literature Books Authors Podcasts Children's Books Discussion
  1. Being polite is different from being kind; politeness focuses on today, kindness on helping people improve tomorrow.
  2. In polite cultures, disagreement and criticism are often avoided, while in kind cultures people express their thoughts respectfully.
  3. Some discussion topics include new book recommendations, insightful podcast conversations, and intriguing data on well-being, conversation enjoyment, and online behavior.

GRANTED: My new TED talk and your thoughts on languishing

0 implied HN points • 29 Apr 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-Improvement Podcasts
  1. Leaders should possess confident humility, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses while striving to correct mistakes.
  2. Languishing refers to a sense of emptiness and stagnation many individuals are experiencing, but some may be dormant, waiting to thrive.
  3. Recent WorkLife podcast episodes focus on productive conflict and creating an anti-racist workspace.

GRANTED: Announcing my next 3 books

0 implied HN points • 01 Apr 21
📚 Literature Books Authors Readings
  1. Curiosity and lifelong learning involve exploring for understanding sake, even without immediate relevance or utility.
  2. Data highlights trends like the rise of job postings with 4-day work weeks, leadership perceptions in classrooms, and underrepresentation of Asian-Americans in leadership roles.
  3. Recommendations include articles on persuasion, debates with Malcolm Gladwell, and upcoming Clubhouse sessions with Dax Shepard and Esther Perel.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

GRANTED: Reasoning with unreasonable people

0 implied HN points • 31 Jan 21
🚌 Education Reasoning Learning Debate Teaching
  1. The primary goal of a university is more about promoting the pursuit of knowledge rather than just teaching skills.
  2. In arguments, rather than preaching or prosecuting, try treating it like an interview by asking questions to help others consider their reasons for change.
  3. Recognize the 'I'm-not-biased' bias by understanding that knowing what you don't know is wisdom.

GRANTED: The new books to read this fall and my virtual events with Kristen Bell and David Chang

0 implied HN points • 07 Sep 20
🚌 Education Creativity Motivation Learning Career development Reading
  1. Children often give up on creative ideas too quickly due to discouragement from others, impairing their ability to express creativity openly.
  2. Encouraging kids to persist with their original ideas is crucial for nurturing creativity and imagination.
  3. Setting work-life boundaries in the work-from-home era is essential for maintaining a healthy balance and preventing burnout.

GRANTED: Win a video chat with me and support COVID-19 relief

0 implied HN points • 02 May 20
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Workplace Wellness Personal Development Social connection
  1. During a crisis, it's important for leaders to act swiftly, communicate openly, take responsibility for past mistakes, and make adjustments for the future.
  2. Helping others can reduce stress by making us feel valued and capable, and discussing someone else's problems can provide wisdom and motivation to tackle our own challenges.
  3. Dabbling in various areas before focusing on a specific skill can sometimes lead to greater success than specializing early, as diversity can bring unique strengths.

GRANTED: The Next Big Idea Club

0 implied HN points • 23 Sep 19
🎭️ Culture Books Discussion Community
  1. The Next Big Idea Club is a unique book club started by authors like Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant.
  2. They curate and send out two exciting new nonfiction books every season, along with original e-courses and summaries.
  3. 100% of the profits from The Next Big Idea Club goes to The Future Project for students in under-resourced communities.

GRANTED: The new books to read this fall

0 implied HN points • 01 Sep 19
📚 Literature Books Reading Authorship Behavioral Science Leadership
  1. When meeting new people, ask 'What do you love to do?' instead of 'What do you do?' to encourage unique interests and deeper conversations.
  2. Leadership requires keeping your ego in check by promoting those who challenge you and accepting privileges that enhance your work.
  3. Elite schools are reinforcing inequality, not meritocracy, by admitting more students from high-income families than low-income families.

GRANTED: The creative power of misfits

0 implied HN points • 05 Mar 19
🎙 Podcasts Creativity Teamwork Innovation Workplace dynamics
  1. Bringing in a team of misfits can lead to incredible creativity and success, as seen in Pixar's story with an outside director
  2. Innovation and shaking things up are most effective when things are going well, allowing for time, energy, and freedom to explore new ideas
  3. Encouraging dissent and allowing people to voice problems, even without solutions, can lead to valuable insights and improvements in the workplace

GRANTED: Making long-term decisions and long-term friendships

0 implied HN points • 08 Sep 18
🚌 Education Decision-making Friendships
  1. Making long-term decisions involves considering more than just two options. Adding a third alternative can increase the odds of success.
  2. Building real friendships takes time. On average, it requires 50 hours of interaction to move from acquaintance to friend and 200 hours to become close friends.
  3. Balancing group problem-solving with individual work leads to both good and great ideas. Intermittent collaboration between solo and group efforts is effective.

WONDERING: When Strengths are Overused and Fun is Overdone

0 implied HN points • 31 Aug 18
💼 Business Management Decision-making Workplace culture
  1. The best advice highlights blind spots in our thinking and helps us clarify priorities, rather than specifying what to do.
  2. When seeking advice, people often want guidance on how to approach a decision, instead of being told which option to choose.
  3. Colleagues should be informed when mandatory fun isn't enjoyable, especially in a work environment where the focus is on work.

GRANTED: The 4-day work week and what different generations really want out of work

0 implied HN points • 18 Aug 18
💼 Business Workplace Generations Productivity Gender Equality Career development
  1. Good bosses create opportunities for growth and advancement, even if it means leaving for another organization.
  2. Shifting to a 4-day work week can increase engagement, work-life balance, and decrease stress without compromising productivity.
  3. Employees value a career, community, and cause in the workplace, with a shift towards cause as they age, emphasizing the importance of these aspects across all generations.

GRANTED: The two kinds of respect employees want and why you should bet on older entrepreneurs

0 implied HN points • 15 Jul 18
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Management Workplace Parenting
  1. Employees want two kinds of respect: owed respect, which is about being included and recognized as a human being, and earned respect, which is about being valued for contributions
  2. Betting on older entrepreneurs can be more beneficial, as 40-year-olds are more likely to found successful startups compared to 25-year-olds
  3. The evolution of self-esteem in a career involves transitioning from feeling unimportant to pursuing work that is important, which leads to increased productivity and impact