I only read about half of Adam Grant’s Originals before I knew it was a must-read. My previous perceptions of creativity and work were challenged in the first chapter. 

Adam Grant is one of my favorites already. I regularly listen to his podcast Worklife and follow his Twitter, so when I picked up his book Originals, I knew it would be good.

According to Grant, an original is “a thing of singular or unique character; a person who is different from other people in an appealing or interesting way; a person of fresh initiative or inventive capacity.” So, for something to be Original it must do something that hasn’t been done before, they innovate. They challenge, they’re interesting. 

Ultimately, Originals takes rich, real-world examples and intertwines them with stimulating research about what fosters original ideas and makes original people. It leaves you with actionable ways to become more original, create more unique ideas and lead with innovation. 

My top 5 things I learned: 

1. To be successful, you either conform or be original 

Grant starts the book looking at the two routes to achievement: the first conformity and the second originality. Recognizing that conformity, the human default, likely will lead to a nice, comfortable life, Grant praises those who step outside of the norm and become true world changers. 

Grant notes child prodigies rarely go on to do anything exceptional. They tend to be successful, but the top, innovative players were less likely to  \be the so-called child prodigy. Same reason valedictorians, while well adjusted and comfortable, don’t typically become self-made millionaires. 

Typically conformists are raised craving validation and play by the rules; they aren’t bending and challenging conventions, creating out-of-the-box solutions or progressing groundbreaking change. The people that do this, originals, receive less validation from teachers or bosses because they are doing something uncomfortable and untested. 

Yet, it is originals who go on to inspire actual innovation, make more money in the long run and earn high esteem later on. 

You can conform and have success or you can be an original and be wildly successful. 

2. You need more ideas

One of the highest indicators of originality is simply having more ideas than everyone else. 

Currently, my public relations design professor tells us not to stop till we hit Idea 9. He knows that it is not the ability to execute your first idea well, but to continue to execute idea after idea until you create something original. 

Thinking of some of the most highly creative people, they all create a lot. Not only does practice make perfect, but having lots of ideas increases the odds of having a good idea. 

I don’t think a songwriter writes only the songs we hear. I think they write countless more and curate their best, most original ideas for the album. Even the best of the best need space to write duds. Then, later, they are able to pick the original ideas out of the graveyard of overused, not unique ones. 

Grant illustrates this chapter well, and I learned to not be scared of creating. If you create a lot, eventually, it can become something original. 

3. Be a risk avoidant original 

People often think originality requires extreme risk, but originals tend to be risk avoidant. Grant illustrates this using stocks. When you go riskier in one investment, you make sure you play it safe in other investments. 

It’s funny. In a study cited by Grant, successful entrepreneurs tended to stay in their day job. I think of entrepreneurs as being incredibly welcoming to risk, but research finds that those that quit their day jobs are more likely to fail than those that stay. 

Grant attributes this counterintuitive notion to the way original people think.  They tend to cover their bases and make sure they don’t go all-in on one thing. Essentially, don’t put your eggs in one basket. 

4. Allow some negative, skeptic thinking in the room

Have you ever been in a meeting and everyone agrees with what the boss says? It makes sense why agreeing with the boss wins you brownie points, and if you’re vying for their approval, it’s a good strategy. Unfortunately, it’s not going to generate the best ideas. 

Originals are contrarian. Pointing out the negatives in a solution or countering with a separate solution can lead to better ideas and less groupthink. “Negative thinking has power,” says Grant and creating a feedback loop is one of the core tenets of original organizations. 

Leaders should encourage people to disagree with them, and not just as a devil’s advocate. When making a decision, even ideas that are wrong or worse can help formulate an effective solution (if not only so you understand why the first idea is better.)

5. Procrastination is OK encouraged 

Finally, procrastination is “a common habit of creative thinkers and great problem solvers.” Music to my ears. We think of procrastination as something bad, but usually, procrastination allows you to spend time thinking about a problem, and then execute when your ideas are fully formed. 

Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. wrote their most famous speeches the night before they gave them. Both well-practiced speakers, waiting allowed them to perfect their internal ideas before writing. 

It’s a giant relief to me. 

I would highly recommend giving Originals a read

It helped me think about how I conduct my day-to-day and areas I can grow to be a little more original in. Like I said, it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to create better, lead better and learn better. I’m putting Adam Grant’s newest book Think Again on my list next because Originals was just that good.