Originals Summary

In *Originals*, Adam Grant examines how nonconformists drive change and why the people who move the world are rarely the ones we expect. Drawing on organizational psychology research, Grant argues that originality is not a fixed trait but a set of learnable behaviors, and he structures the book around evidence rather than inspiration. A central framework is the “power of procrastination.” Grant cites his student Jihae Shin’s experiments showing that people who delay moderately on a task generate more creative ideas than those who start immediately, because the delay allows divergent thinking while the deadline preserves urgency. He also describes the “first-mover disadvantage,” using brothers Warby Parker, whom he advised, as a case study, arguing that “pioneers” in an industry often fail while “settlers” who improve on an original idea succeed. Grant explores why innovators need allies rather than mere supporters, recounting how the suffragist movement and the civil rights strategist Bayard Rustin built coalitions, and why “strategic dissent” inside institutions produces better decisions. He profiles figures like Steve Jobs and the entrepreneur Tali Sharot to show how successful originals reframe risk: they feel the same fear as everyone else but act anyway, and they build “idea portfolios” so no single failure is fatal. He also dissects the personalities of originals, arguing that they are often temperamentally cautious in daily life while radical in their work, and he explains how parents and managers can raise original thinkers by rewarding attempts, not just outcomes. The book closes with practical chapters on speaking up before you feel ready and on choosing the right moment to challenge the status quo.