For generations people have focused on individual determinants of success, mainly passion, hard work, talent and luck. Today, however, success increasingly depends on how we interact with others. Success is derived from the interaction between three types of people - givers, matchers and takers. If you think that takers are the most successful, you're wrong. The very opposite is true. Givers, who help others without expecting anything in return, achieve the greatest successes. There is a lot of scientific evidence to support this, which has been proven in practice at companies.
That is a brief summary of a book by Adam Grant entitled Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success (2013). Adam Grant is the youngest professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he focuses on organizational and managerial psychology. Give and Take became a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller and is also one of the best books in the field of management and sales recommended by Fortune and Harvard Business Review magazines.
3 myths about the meaning of work
Success at work is closely related to the meaning we find in our work. Adam Grant focused on the topic of finding meaning at work in his latest article on LinkedIn. He explained that most people see meaning in the work of doctors, clergy, and teachers. These occupations can help us disprove several myths about the meaning of work.
1. The meaning of work depends on where we work
The truth is that you can find meaningful work, no matter what company you work for. A doctor can be successful in many different hospitals, as can a teacher in many different schools. Your work can be meaningful, even if you aren't working for Google or Apple.
2. Only knowledge work is meaningful
We are not living in the era of a knowledge economy, as many people mistakenly believe. We're living in the time of a service economy, and serving others is the meaning of our work. We work in order to help others live more meaningful lives.
3. The meaning of work derives from a visionary boss
Not everyone can work for a strong and charismatic leader, but that doesn't matter. Meaningful work is not defined by a leader, but by the people who do it.
Book
GRANT, ADAM: Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success.New York: Penguin Books, 2013. 320 p.
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