GRANTED: Leadership lessons from Ukraine and new books for spring

March 2022

It's impossible to please everyone. The question is whether you're disappointing the right people. Part of setting healthy boundaries is deciding who you're willing to let down.
 
One group I won’t let down is podcast listeners. We’re hard at work on season 5, and our first guest of 2022 is Dolly Parton. If you want to listen in live, I’m hosting her on Clubhouse this Thursday at 2:15pm ET: dolly.lnk.to/DPAGCH
 
In the meantime, onto some links…

1. How COVID stole our time and how we can get it back (Tim Urban, NYT)
We overestimate how many paths would have made us happier in the past—and underestimate how many are open to us in the present.
 
2. A culture without the possibility of redemption is a toxic culture (Arianna Huffington, Thrive Global)
The idea of forgiving moral violations has never sat well with me—it seems too close to excusing unethical behaviors. I’m drawn to this alternative of redemption: inviting people to right their wrongs allows them to grow beyond their worst moments.
 
From my desk
 
3. Ukraine’s president stands for more than charisma and courage
Ukraine's president is more than a lion who found his roar. He's a lion protecting his pride.
Charisma attracts attention. Courage earns admiration. But commitment to a group inspires loyalty. We follow leaders who fight for us—and make sacrifices for leaders who serve us.
 
4. The 12 new books to usher in spring
My favorite new releases explore the dynamics of embracing melancholy and facing loss, anticipating the future and adapting to change, building strong communities and partnerships, and building more diverse and inclusive workplaces.
 
5. Sigal Barsade taught me that emotions have a place in the workplace
For a long time, I believed being professional and productive meant checking our emotions at the office door. Sigal Barsade changed my mind. She demonstrated that teams perform better when they express care, affection, and even love.
💔 that we’ve lost a brilliant professor and beloved colleague.

In solidarity,

Adam Grant, Ph.D.
Organizational psychologist at Wharton, author of THINK AGAIN, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife