Why do some people change the world while others accept it as unchangeable?
Adam Grant’s Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World arrived at the perfect moment for me. As someone who’s spent years thinking about how we drive meaningful change, this book provided valuable insights and practical guidance. Grant doesn’t just challenge conventional wisdom; he backs up his insights with solid research.
Grant says originality isn’t about being the loudest voice or rushing to be first. It’s about being the person who notices the squeaky door hinge everyone else has learned to ignore. True originals see what others miss, question why things work the way they do, and have the courage to fix what others accept as unchangeable. Sometimes being original is as simple as choosing a different browser than the default or asking why your team still uses fax machines. It’s about being persistent, open, and brave enough to address what others accept.
What Makes Someone Original?
Here’s what struck me most: great creators aren’t always the deepest experts: they’re the broadest explorers. They’re intellectual generalists rather than deep specialists. The people who move the world forward aren’t necessarily those who know the most about a single domain, but those who can cross-pollinate ideas from psychology to engineering, from biology to business strategy, and see patterns others miss.
This means your software engineer who studied anthropology or your marketing manager with a psychology background might be your best innovation catalysts. Instead of just diving deeper into our specializations, we benefit from cultivating curiosity across disciplines. The fresh perspective often comes from someone who’s willing to ask “why do we do it this way?” without being weighed down by years of “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
The Reality of Speaking Up
Grant’s research on workplace politics hit close to home. Organizations reward certain kinds of initiative (helping colleagues, networking, gathering feedback) but tend to punish those that challenge existing processes. A risky career move isn’t missing deadlines or poor performance, it’s suggesting the CEO’s pet projects might be pointless.
Grant defines the terms power and status as:
Power involves exercising control or authority over others; status is being respected and admired.
While power can be seized, status must be earned through respect and contribution. You can build what Grant calls “idiosyncrasy credits” by consistently solving problems and helping teammates before spending those credits on challenging how things work. It’s not about staying quiet until you have enough seniority: it’s about being strategic in how and when you spend your credibility currency.
This reframes career development from “wait your turn” to “earn your voice.” Instead of waiting for permission to contribute ideas, focus on becoming the person whose opinion colleagues actively seek out.
How to Communicate Ideas That Stick
Grant offers a communication framework that goes against conventional wisdom: lead with your idea’s limitations, repeat it more than feels necessary, and target people who have a track record of embracing change.
Leading with limitations sounds counterproductive, but it actually builds credibility. It shows you’ve thought things through. When you’re upfront about what might not work, you appear more thoughtful and credible. People can recognize intellectual honesty, and they’re more likely to engage with your idea’s strengths when they trust you’ve genuinely wrestled with its weaknesses.
The repetition principle matters because what’s obvious to you as the originator is completely new to your audience. Ideas need time to develop before people can grasp their full implications. What feels repetitive to you as the originator is still new information to your audience.
The Strategic Value of Waiting
Perhaps the most valuable insight from the book: being first isn’t always best. Strategic procrastination can be advantageous: early movers face unknown risks, while those who wait can learn from initial mistakes and adapt accordingly. The world celebrates pioneers, but settlers often succeed by learning from early mistakes and adapting to changing market conditions.
This doesn’t mean endless delays or analysis paralysis. It means being intentional about timing and recognizing that sometimes the best move is to watch, learn, and improve on what others have tried. I’ve long held the idea that we can learn just as effectively from others’ mistakes as our own, so I appreciated this idea.
If you’re someone who feels guilty about not jumping on every trend or opportunity immediately, this research supports taking time to observe and strategically plan your approach.
Building Movements, Not Just Ideas
Individual brilliance alone rarely creates lasting change. Grant emphasizes that movements take hold when we temper our message, build unexpected alliances, and focus on practical implementation rather than ideological purity.
The most effective advocates for change understand the doubts of resisters because they were once skeptics themselves. This empathy allows them to address concerns authentically rather than dismissing them.
This shifts the focus from winning debates to winning adoption. Instead of defending ideas like a lawyer arguing a case, focus on adapting them like an engineer solving a problem: with real constraints, real budgets, and real people who have legitimate concerns about change.
Creating Space for Different Voices
Organizations often drift toward homogeneity, becoming comfortable and predictable but less innovative. As they grow, they hire for “cultural fit,” which often means hiring people who think and act similarly to existing team members. This gradually eliminates the productive friction and cognitive diversity that fuel innovation.
Grant advocates hiring for “cultural contribution” instead. This means bringing in people who add something new rather than just fitting in. He also suggests conducting entry interviews to capture fresh perspectives before new hires absorb the company’s blind spots and unquestioned assumptions.
These aren’t just diversity initiatives. They’re practical strategies for organizations adapting to changing markets and technology.
The Emotional Reality of Change
Driving change is emotionally demanding work. Grant distinguishes between “surface acting” (smiling while grinding your teeth) and “deep acting” (genuinely aligning your inner convictions with your outward message).
Sustainable change requires authenticity. You can’t fake passion for change over months or years of resistance and setbacks. But you can cultivate genuine conviction by connecting your work to something larger than your next promotion or bonus. Grant notes that empathetic anger (being upset about unfairness to your teammates or customers) provides more sustained motivation than personal revenge.
Leaders who successfully drive change aren’t necessarily the most naturally optimistic or energetic. They’re the ones who’ve found authentic reasons to care: whether that’s improving customer experience, reducing teammate frustration, or solving problems they find genuinely compelling.
Making It Real
Grant closes with practical organizational changes that support originality:
Hire for cultural contribution, not just fit. Look for people who will enrich your culture with new perspectives, not just blend into existing patterns.
Welcome criticism and dissent. Create systems that reward speaking up, like public issue logs or regular “what should we change?” sessions.
Conduct entry interviews. Ask newcomers what should change before they’re socialized into accepting current practices.
Recognize that both voice and exit are valid. Sometimes the best way to drive change is to leave for an environment more receptive to new ideas.
Personal Takeaways
Reading Originals reminded me that effective change doesn’t require being the smartest person in the room or having all the answers upfront. It requires curiosity about alternatives, courage to voice different perspectives, and persistence to keep pushing when others settle for the status quo.
The book also reinforced something I’ve learned from experience: the most sustainable changes come from understanding both the human and technical aspects of transformation. Ideas succeed when they solve real problems and when people feel heard in the process of implementing them.
Grant’s research offers practical guidance. Rather than being the lone genius or the first to act, focus on being persistent, open, and willing to improve things. This approach provides a realistic way forward.
Highlights
Below are a few highlights I made in my copy that I really enjoyed.
In the deepest sense of the word, a friend is someone who sees more potential in you than you see in yourself, someone who helps you become the best version of yourself.
Conformity means following the crowd down conventional paths and maintaining the status quo. Originality is taking the road less traveled, championing a set of novel ideas that go against the grain but ultimately make things better.
The hallmark of originality is rejecting the default and exploring whether a better option exists.
When we become curious about the dissatisfying defaults in our world, we begin to recognize that most of them have social origins: Rules and systems were created by people. And that awareness gives us the courage to contemplate how we can change them.
Advocating for new systems often requires demolishing the old way of doing things, and we hold back for fear of rocking the boat.
Many of their limits, they came to realize, were of their own making.
As we gain knowledge about a domain, we become prisoners of our prototypes.
Leaders and managers appreciate it when employees take the initiative to offer help, build networks, gather new knowledge, and seek feedback. But there’s one form of initiative that gets penalized: speaking up with suggestions. In one study across manufacturing, service, retail, and nonprofit settings, the more frequently employees voiced ideas and concerns upward, the less likely they were to receive raises and promotions over a two-year period.
Only when you believe your actions matter and care deeply will you consider speaking up.
To become original, we have to be willing to take some risks. When we go against the grain to upend time-honored traditions, we can never be certain that we’ll succeed.
Remember that if you don’t take initiative, the status quo will persist. Consider the four responses to dissatisfaction: exit, voice, persistence, and neglect. Only exit and voice improve your circumstances. Speaking up may be the best route if you have some control over the situation; if not, it may be time to explore options for expanding your influence or leaving.
Shift from exit interviews to entry interviews. Instead of waiting to ask for ideas until employees are on their way out the door, start seeking their insights when they first arrive.