The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers by Adam Grant

Introduction

• Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, explores the habits of 'originals' or original thinkers.
• Focus on how creative people come up with great ideas.

Key Insights

Three Unexpected Habits of Originals

1. Embracing Failure

   • Originals are not afraid of failing.
   • "The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they're the ones who try the most."
   • Quantity of ideas is key; many bad ideas lead to a few good ones.

2. Procrastination

   • Procrastination can lead to more original thinking.
   • By delaying tasks, individuals give themselves time to think differently, leading to unique solutions.

3. Generating Lots of Ideas

   • Originals come up with a plethora of ideas to sift through to find valuable ones.
   • They do not settle for the first idea; they keep exploring.

Conclusion

• Originals are often unconventional in their methods.
• Success is not always about having the best idea first but about creating a large pool of ideas from which valuable ones emerge.
• Encouragement to embrace and learn from failure to achieve originality.

Additional Resources by Adam Grant

• Podcasts:
  • WorkLife with Adam Grant: Explore unconventional workplaces to make work more meaningful.
• Books:
  • "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World"
  • "Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success"

Related Topics

• Invention
• Business
• Innovation
• Creativity
• Leadership
• Success

Learn More

• Adam Grant's monthly newsletter: Insights into work and psychology.
• TED platform offers more talks and resources on related topics such as creativity and leadership.

Explore More on TED

• TEDx Events
• TED Fellows
• TED Ed
• TED Institute
• TED@Work
• TED Blog and Podcasts

Conclusion

• Adam Grant's talk urges embracing failure and constant exploration in the pursuit of originality.
• A reminder that successful original thinkers are those who are willing to try, fail, and learn continually.