Book Summary: Originals by Adam Grant

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man," George Bernard Shaw says.

Since the beginning of time, unreasonable men and women have been propelling the world ahead. Some are familiar to you, such as Martin Luther King and Amelia Earhart.

Ray Dalio and Neil Blumenthal, for example, are names you may not be familiar with.

But, really, what does it mean to be original? Is it something you can learn? And if that's the case, what steps do you need to do to become an original?

In the following 12 minutes, we'll address these and other questions.

Originals question defaults.

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One of the characteristics that all Originals have in common is that they challenge the world's default settings.

When they begin to do so, they realize that the majority of the defaults in the world are laws and systems that were developed by humans. And, if humans made them, they may be altered.

For example, the founders of Warby Parker, an eyeglasses business that offers high-quality eyewear for a fraction of what you'd spend at an optometrist's office, puzzled why they couldn't find a pair of glasses that were affordable.

They were intrigued, so they conducted some investigation and discovered that Luxottica held 80% of the market.

As a result, they created Warby Parker, a company that no one expected to thrive.

They would offer spectacles for $95, which would normally cost $500. For every pair of glasses purchased, they would donate a pair to someone in need. Then there's the fact that they'd do it all over the Internet.

They have, without a doubt, been successful.

They were voted the most innovative business globally by Fast Company, beating out previous champions Apple, Google, and Nike. They were also worth more than a billion dollars.

Anyone might have inquired why they couldn't get a pair of spectacles at a fair price, but it took a bunch of pioneers like the Warby Parker founders to dig for the answer.

It's a good idea to challenge the defaults.

Originals are risk-averse.

Many people are surprised by this one because entrepreneurs and innovators are generally stereotyped as risk-takers.

While many entrepreneurs are willing to take large risks, the most innovative ones aren't always.

When Warby Parker was initially formed, none of the founders wanted to dedicate their time and attention to the firm completely. They all had a backup plan in case things didn't go as planned. These were people who were afraid of taking risks.

You'd assume that risk-averse entrepreneurs wouldn't have as much success as those who "burned the ships," as the adage goes.

However, according to a survey of 5,000 entrepreneurs, those who retained their day jobs were 33% less likely to fail than those who resigned.

Having a sense of security in one part of your life helps create the opportunity to take risks in other aspects.

Grant argues that this feeling allows those without fear to be original and pursue what they believe will be a beneficial path.

How to create original ideas

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Having a lot of ideas is the finest approach to become an original.

Dean Simonton, a psychologist who has spent his life researching creativity, discovered that creative geniuses are not qualitatively superior to their counterparts. Instead, they generated a considerably larger quantity of work, increasing their chances of developing a successful idea.

As he mentions, "The odds of producing an influential or successful idea are a positive function of the total number of ideas generated."

So, how can you create more unique ideas?

According to Steve Jobs, we must seek inspiration outside of our field of work.

To come up with new ideas, you must seek connections that have never been formed before. Steve Jobs, for example, was the first person in the computer business to place a strong emphasis on design as a differentiator.

Where did he get the idea for this? Appliances for the kitchen.

Getting feedback on your ideas

Now comes the difficult task of choosing which of your ideas is truly brilliant. My friend, you are not the greatest person to judge that. And your boss is hard-wired to test ideas by imagining all the different ways they may go wrong.

So, where do you go from here?

Grant recommends that you seek help from your coworkers for a variety of reasons. They won't be as risk-averse as your boss, but they also won't have any financial stake in your ideas, allowing them to offer you a fair assessment.

A peer group is probably the greatest way to obtain this sort of criticism if you're an entrepreneur.

Getting people to buy into your idea

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Now that you've decided which idea to pursue, it's time to persuade others to join you. Investors, staff, and, eventually, consumers may all be involved.

However, persuading others that your original concept is beneficial to them is more difficult than you would think. New ideas are viewed with skepticism by the majority of people.

A unique approach is to start with your weaknesses, emphasizing the defects in your ideas rather than the positive aspects.

Why?

The majority of people are suspicious of fresh ideas. The more radical your concept is, the more opposition it will encounter. There are several advantages to beating your critics to the punch.

The first advantage is that it surprises the audience. They don't expect you to explain to them all the reasons why they shouldn't believe in your concept.

The second advantage is that it makes you appear intelligent. If you put forth the disadvantages that your audience is already considering, they will believe that you are clever like them.

The third advantage is that it gives you a more trustworthy appearance. They are far more inclined to place their trust in you later if they can trust you to provide an honest appraisal of your concept now.

When to move forward with your original idea

Timing is essential in life. If you launch your concept too soon, the market may not be ready. If you start it too late, you'll never catch up.

The majority of the Originals, according to Grant, are fashionably late to the party. In research comparing first movers to later entries to a market, it was discovered that first movers failed 47 percent of the time, whereas later entrants failed just 8 percent of the time.

Even if the pioneers did survive, they could acquire a considerably smaller part of the market than the later comers.

You don't have to be first; all you have to do is be different and better.

Most Originals utilize effective procrastination as one of their skills. While procrastinating won't assist you with short-term activities like your to-do list, it will help you be more creative.

It permits you to keep your choices open, only cutting off fresh possibilities when the time comes.

This sort of procrastination isn't about being lazy; it's about being patient and waiting for the appropriate moment.

How to create an Originals culture

So, how can you cultivate a culture that encourages original thinking and ideas?

You should promote different points of view and give individuals the opportunity to express themselves.

Even when they are incorrect, dissenting viewpoints are vital because they contribute to discovering fresh and unique ideas that would otherwise be unexplored.

Bridgewater Associates, one of the world's largest hedge funds, is one business that takes this behavior to the extreme.

Bridgewater began in Ray Dalio's bedroom of a New York apartment and has grown to invest approximately $170 billion on behalf of its customers, the majority of which are big institutions.

Dalio created a paper named Principles, which outlines over 200 principles to regulate his workers' behavior. Most of them are on how to be "radically transparent."

One of the principles, for example, is that "no one has the right to hold a critical opinion without speaking up about it." This is true regardless of your position within the firm, and Dalio himself is an example of this.

One essential consideration for incorporating dissident viewpoints into your culture is that those playing devil's advocate must believe what they are saying.

Assigning one individual to argue against a concept at random will not ensure that all points of view are considered.

Regulate your emotions and be an Original.

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Being an original is a difficult task. You'll experience a lot of self-doubt and dread, and if you don't know how to manage your emotions, you might not make it to the end.

Once, Nelson Mandela said:

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

Here are some scenarios you're likely to encounter, as well as techniques for making the best of them.

When you're in a position when your dedication is slipping, think of the progress you've already made. It will provide you with the extra motivation you require to keep going.

When you're fully dedicated to a task, think like a defensive pessimist, anticipating all things that may go wrong and devising strategies to ensure that they don't.

Tell yourself that you are excited in circumstances when you are nervous. Rather than surrendering to fear and escaping, you'll engage your "go" system and lean into whatever work you've been given.

Conclusion

Being an Original isn't for everyone, but it is something that you may pursue if you so choose.

Start now by challenging all of your preconceptions about where your life is heading and why it needs to be that way. We could well be reading about you in Adam Grant's next book if you start today.

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