Staff Leadership Book Pick of the Month: Originals

Recently, there has been a trend from the academic world of releasing inspiring leadership books. There have been some best-selling authors who come from the classroom, however Adam Grant, a:

• PhD in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan
• Top-rated professor for seven straight years at Wharton School of Business
• Leading expert on how to find motivation and creativity
• One of the world's top 10 influential management thinkers
• Researcher that has increased performance and reduced burnout

… has a different flair. When you read Grant's heavily research-based book, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, with more than 250 references and many cited studies and experiments, it does not seem like you are reading an academic journal. It is more like a friend trying to persuade you to get up and do something.

In this book, he is trying to get you to understand what it means to be original, that traditional ideas of being original are not correct and he identifies a plethora of action to take to be original yourself.

There are several things that Grant suggests that will help you become a more creative, "original" member of a group or society. He suggests, through research and examples of leaders who have been both successful and failed, that there are certain things you can do:

• Question the default
• Get experience in your field and then broaden it
• Welcome criticism and seek feedback
• Protect against the downside
• Quantity over quality when it comes to ideas
• Procrastinate on purpose

In every book, lecture, workshop or seminar, you should try to find at least one takeaway. Something you have learned that you feel, if added to your repertoire, will make an improvement in your daily life. In this book, there are quite a few. However, there are two that stand out the most:

• Questions the default – Grant suggests you should question why things are done the way they are. He is not saying that the default or the way some things are done is wrong, but he does suggest rethinking why the originals decide to do things a certain way to begin with. Is there a better way?
• Parenting – He states that parents of highly creative children had on average less than one rule. They tended to place more emphasis on the development of moral values. These parents tend to discipline by explaining what is expected in accordance with a set of principles of right and wrong. They would speak to their child about integrity, respect, curiosity and perseverance. This type of discipline leads to a child who voluntarily follows the rules that align to their values and question ones that do not.

So, who are the “originals”? I think if you, the leader, teacher, organization and even parent take even some of these ideas, plans and actions suggested by Grant in this book, you can be more creative and innovative — or even be an “original.”