Think Again
Adam Grant
Summary
A book on how our thinking is flawed and how we can change it
Rating: 5/5
Notes
We listen to views that make use feel good instead of those that make us think hard
‘Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything’ - George Bernard Shaw
The higher your IQ, the more likely you are to fall for stereotypes
If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom
The less intelligent we are in a domain, the more likely we are to overestimate our actual intelligence in that domain (Dunning Kruger effect)
Confidence is a measure of how much you believe in yourself
Imposter syndrome can make you work harder, smarter and betters learners
Never let your beliefs come from part of your identity
Separate task conflict from relationship conflict. Argue about the task at hand and never attack a person’s identity
In negotiations, find what you agree upon with the other side
- Consider the strongest version of their case and then counter
When negotiating, always focus on 1-3 main points, don’t dilute the message
Ask more questions of the counterparty to make it like a dance instead of a war
Many beliefs are cultural truisms: widely shared but rarely questioned
Use motivational interviewing to get people to change their mind
- Open ended questions
- Reflective listening
- Reaffirm person’s desire to change
- Summarize the findings back to them
Knowledge is constantly evolving
Valedictorians aren’t likely to be future visionaries, they settle into the system rather than shake it up
Quality means rethinking, reworking and polishing
In a learning culture, people need psychological safety and process accountability. The have to be willing to experiment
People most certain about their careers in their twenties have the deepest regrets in their thirties
Have people ask career check-in questions every year: am I happy doing this?
Have life check-ins every year
Our actions, not surroundings, give us meaning and belonging
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Free E-book download here
Make Something Wonderful
Steve Jobs
Summary
The life of Steve Jobs in his own words
Rating: 5/5
Notes
Make something wonderful and put it out there
‘You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear’
When you’re a stranger in a place, you notice thing you don’t otherwise (Jobs after India trip)
Whenever you start with nothing, always shoot for the moon. You have nothing to lose.
You never achieve what you want without falling on your face a few times
Never be afraid to fail. You never achieve what you want without falling flat on your face a few times
We are never taught to listen to our intuitions, to develop and nurture them. But if you do pay attention to these subtle insights, you can make them come true
Creativity equals connecting previously unrelated experiences and insights others don’t see
Believe that some of what you follow with your heart will come back and make your life richer. And it will. And you will gain even firmer trust on your instincts and intuitions
Make your avocation your vocation. Make what you love your work.
The journey is the reward. The reward isn’t in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it’s in crossing the rainbow
To find A+ talent, if experienced, look at their track record and results
The world we know is a human creation and we can push it forward
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do (read whole ad ‘here’s to the crazy ones)
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit - Aristotle
Hire people better than you are
You can’t plan to meet the people who will change your life
It’s impossible to connect the dots looking forward, but they make sense looking backwards so you have to trust the dots will somehow connect in your future
Everything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you
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Free E-book download here
