Give and Take
Adam Grant · 2013
Conventional wisdom says nice guys finish last, but Adam Grant's research reveals that generous "givers" can rise to the very top, while also explaining why some of them sink to the very bottom. The book shows how to give in ways that build success instead of burning you out.
Shows how generous 'givers' can rise to the top, reshaping how we think about success at work.
Two of the ideas you’ll keep
The Clif summary of Give and Take pulls out 7 insights. Here are the first two.
- Sort the people around you into three reciprocity styles: givers (who help without keeping score), takers (who try to get more than they give), and matchers (who trade favor for favor). Your style at work shapes your long-term success more than talent or luck.
- Be an "otherish" giver, not a "selfless" one. Combine high concern for others with healthy self-interest. Selfless givers who never set boundaries burn out and get exploited; otherish givers sustain their generosity and outperform everyone.
The other 5 — and the full 9-minute summary — are in the app.
What’s inside: 8 chapters
The whole summary runs about 9 minutes, read or listened to.
- Givers, Takers, and Matchers
- The Network: Why Givers Build Stronger Connections
- Collaboration and the Perspective Gap
- Spotting Potential: How Givers Develop Talent
- The Surprising Power of Powerless Communication
- Otherish Giving: How to Give Without Burning Out
- Avoiding the Doormat: Screening Out Takers
- Building a Giving Culture and Taking Action
Finish Give and Take tonight.
Read or listen to the full summary in about 9 minutes, then keep the ideas with a minute of review a day. Start with the 2-minute quiz — no card required.
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