Originals
How Non-Conformists Move the World
Book Edition Details
Summary
Dare to be different and champion novel ideas with Adam Grant's Originals (2016). This insightful book explores how to recognize good ideas, speak up without being silenced, manage fear, and build cultures that welcome dissent. Learn from surprising studies and stories across various fields how to reject conformity and improve the status quo.
Introduction
Picture four college friends staring at a broken pair of glasses held together with duct tape and wire, frustrated by the absurd cost of replacement eyewear. They knew something was fundamentally wrong when a few pieces of plastic and metal could cost more than a smartphone, yet they had no experience in retail, fashion, or manufacturing. What they did have was a nagging sense that if this problem bothered them, it probably bothered millions of others too. This moment of shared frustration would eventually grow into Warby Parker, a company that revolutionized an entire industry by making quality eyewear accessible and affordable. Their story reveals a profound truth about how real change happens in our world. We often imagine that groundbreaking innovators are born with some special fearlessness or creative genius that sets them apart from ordinary people. But the reality is far more encouraging and accessible than we might think. The most successful originals aren't necessarily the biggest risk-takers or the most creative visionaries. Instead, they're strategic thinkers who have learned to recognize opportunities that others overlook, find the courage to voice unconventional ideas, and develop the skills to transform creative insights into lasting change. This exploration takes you inside the minds and methods of people who have successfully challenged the status quo across business, social movements, and creative endeavors. You'll discover that originality isn't about having perfect ideas or fearless personalities, but about learning to navigate resistance, time your moves strategically, and build the coalitions necessary to turn vision into reality. The path ahead will transform how you think about creativity, leadership, and your own potential to make a meaningful difference in the world.
The Warby Parker Paradox: Why Safe Players Often Win
The conventional wisdom about entrepreneurs paints them as fearless risk-takers who bet everything on their vision. But Neil Blumenthal and his three co-founders at Warby Parker tell a very different story. While their business school classmates were dropping out to chase startup dreams, these four kept their day jobs, worked on their eyewear company nights and weekends, and refused to quit their stable positions until they had solid proof their concept would work. Their friends criticized them for playing it too safe, lacking the bold spirit that supposedly defines true entrepreneurs. Yet when Warby Parker finally launched, selling designer-quality glasses online for $95 instead of the industry standard of $500, they sold out their entire first-year inventory in less than a month. The company that seemed too cautious in its approach had actually created one of the most disruptive business models of the decade. Their careful planning and risk management hadn't held them back; it had given them the foundation they needed to challenge an industry dominated by a single company that controlled over 80 percent of the market. This pattern appears repeatedly among successful innovators. Phil Knight kept his accounting job while building Nike. Steve Wozniak stayed at Hewlett-Packard even after Apple started gaining traction. The founders of Google maintained their PhD student status while developing their revolutionary search algorithm. These weren't people paralyzed by fear or lacking in ambition. Instead, they understood something crucial about the relationship between risk and originality. The most successful rebels don't gamble with their entire future on a single bet. They create what researchers call a "balanced risk portfolio," taking bold chances in their area of passion while maintaining stability in other parts of their lives. This approach allows them to pursue genuinely original ideas without jeopardizing their ability to survive failure and try again. The paradox of creative destruction is that those who create the most lasting change are often the most thoughtful about managing their risks, channeling their rebellious energy strategically rather than recklessly.
Timing the Revolution: When Ideas Meet Their Moment
Martin Luther King Jr. sat in his hotel room the night before the March on Washington, staring at a speech that felt somehow incomplete. He had spent weeks crafting every word, consulting with advisors and polishing each phrase until it gleamed. The speech was undeniably powerful, but something essential was missing. As midnight approached, King made a fateful decision to set aside his prepared remarks and begin writing from the heart, letting his deepest vision of America flow onto the page. The next day, standing before 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial, King began with his carefully prepared text. But eleven minutes into the speech, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted from behind him, "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" In that electric moment, King abandoned his script entirely and began to improvise, sharing his vision of an America where children would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. The most memorable and transformative part of one of history's greatest speeches was completely unplanned. This story reveals a counterintuitive truth about timing and creativity. We often assume that the best ideas come from meticulous planning and perfect preparation. But research shows that some of our most profound insights emerge when we step away from rigid structure and allow space for spontaneity. King's willingness to leave room for inspiration, to remain open to the moment even during such a crucial event, created the conditions for something extraordinary to emerge. The same principle applies across all forms of innovation. Many of the most successful companies weren't first movers who rushed to market with untested concepts. Instead, they were strategic followers who learned from pioneers' mistakes and entered when conditions were optimal. They understood that being original isn't about being first; it's about being better at precisely the right moment. The art of timing a revolution lies in recognizing when the world is ready for your idea and having the patience to wait for that moment while preparing to act decisively when it arrives.
Building Bridges, Not Walls: The Art of Coalition Building
Lucy Stone faced a challenge that would have discouraged most people from continuing their fight. As one of America's first female public speakers advocating for women's suffrage in the 1850s, she expected opposition from men who wanted to preserve the status quo. What she didn't anticipate was that her fiercest resistance would come from other women who feared that demanding political rights would undermine their moral authority and social standing. Stone discovered that building a successful movement required more than just having the right ideas; it demanded mastering the delicate art of turning potential enemies into allies. The breakthrough came when Stone realized she needed to completely reframe her message. Instead of arguing that women deserved rights because they were equal to men, she began emphasizing how voting would help women better protect their homes and families. This wasn't a betrayal of her principles but a strategic recognition that people are more likely to support change when it connects to their existing values and concerns. By positioning women's suffrage as a tool for moral reform rather than a challenge to traditional gender roles, Stone began building the broad coalition that would eventually secure women the right to vote. The same dynamic plays out in organizations and communities today. The most effective change agents understand that their biggest obstacle usually isn't opposition from clear enemies, but indifference or resistance from people who should be natural allies. They learn to speak multiple languages, crafting different versions of their message that resonate with various audiences while maintaining the core integrity of their vision. True coalition building requires the wisdom to know when to compromise and when to stand firm, when to lead from the front and when to step back and let others take credit. It's about recognizing that sustainable change rarely comes from lone heroes working in isolation, but from networks of committed individuals who find ways to work together despite their differences. The most successful rebels understand that revolution is ultimately a collaborative endeavor, requiring both the courage to challenge the status quo and the diplomatic skills to bring others along on the journey.
Swimming in Arctic Waters: Mastering the Emotions of Change
Lewis Pugh stood at the edge of the Arctic Ocean wearing nothing but a Speedo, preparing to become the first person to complete a long-distance swim at the North Pole. The water temperature was a deadly 29 degrees Fahrenheit, cold enough to kill most people within minutes. Through years of conditioning, Pugh had developed an extraordinary ability called "anticipatory thermogenesis," allowing his body temperature to rise before entering freezing water. But as he prepared for this ultimate challenge, something unexpected happened that would teach him the most important lesson of his career. After a practice swim left him unable to feel his hands for months, fear began to overwhelm the legendary endurance athlete. For the first time, he found himself visualizing failure instead of success, imagining all the ways this swim could go catastrophically wrong. The positive thinking and confidence that had carried him through previous challenges suddenly felt inadequate against the magnitude of what he was attempting. Pugh realized he needed a completely different approach to managing his emotions. Instead of trying to calm himself down or force positive thoughts, Pugh began to embrace his fear and use it as fuel for more thorough preparation. He deliberately imagined everything that could go wrong, not to paralyze himself but to ensure he was ready for every possible scenario. This approach, which researchers call "defensive pessimism," helped him convert his anxiety into motivation and meticulous planning. On the day of the swim, he made another crucial shift, redirecting his focus from potential disasters to his deeper purpose: raising awareness about climate change and inspiring others to protect the environment. The emotional journey of originality is rarely smooth or predictable. Those who challenge the status quo must learn to navigate not only external resistance but also their own internal storms of doubt, fear, and uncertainty. The most resilient change-makers develop sophisticated strategies for managing these emotions, knowing when to embrace anxiety as a source of energy and when to redirect their focus toward their larger purpose. They understand that courage isn't the absence of fear but the mastery of it, and that the greatest victories often come not from avoiding emotional storms but from learning to dance in the rain.
Summary
The path of the original is not what we've been told. It's not about taking the biggest risks, having the most creative ideas, or being the first to market with revolutionary concepts. Instead, it's about developing the wisdom to know when to be bold and when to be strategic, when to speak up and when to build coalitions, when to push forward and when to create space for ideas to develop naturally. The rebels who truly transform the world understand that sustainable change requires both courage and calculation, both vision and pragmatism. These strategic originals balance their risk portfolios carefully, taking bold chances in their areas of passion while maintaining stability in other parts of their lives. They master the art of timing, recognizing that even the best idea at the wrong moment is still the wrong idea. They build bridges instead of walls, finding ways to connect their vision to the values and concerns of others who might initially seem like opponents. Most importantly, they develop the emotional intelligence to navigate the inevitable storms of doubt and resistance that come with challenging the status quo, learning to transform fear into fuel and anxiety into action. Perhaps the most encouraging truth revealed in these stories is that originality is not a solo journey but a collaborative adventure. The changes that matter most rarely come from lone geniuses working in isolation, but from networks of committed individuals who find ways to support and amplify each other's efforts. In a world that desperately needs fresh thinking and bold action, the question isn't whether you have original ideas, but whether you have the courage and wisdom to bring them to life through strategic thinking, coalition building, and emotional mastery. The future belongs to those who can turn dreams into reality by developing the relationships, skills, and persistence necessary to see them through.
By Adam M. Grant
