Adam Grant

Adam Grant

Organizational psychologist | Bestselling author exploring motivation, generosity, and human potential

🇺🇸Philadelphia, PA10 talks8 with video

About

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School and bestselling author who explores the science of motivation, generosity, rethinking, and potential. Through his research and speaking, he examines the psychology behind human behavior in the workplace and beyond, investigating everything from what drives original thinking to the dynamics of giving and taking in professional relationships.

Grant's work spans critical areas of human psychology, including the real drivers behind procrastination, the concept of "languishing" and how to move toward flow states, and the importance of rethinking our assumptions. His speaking engagements at major venues like TED2016, TED@IBM 2016, and TEDMonterey 2021 demonstrate his ability to translate complex psychological research into actionable insights for diverse audiences, helping people understand the surprising patterns that govern creativity, motivation, and success.

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What Adam Talks About

1

The psychology of procrastination and overcoming delay tactics

2

Identifying and developing original thinking patterns

3

Understanding giver vs. taker dynamics in workplace relationships

4

Moving from languishing to flow states for peak performance

5

The science of rethinking and challenging assumptions

Talks10

8 with video
Featured Talk

Rewriting your story with Allison Sweet Grant | ReThinking

Allison Sweet Grant is the author of the debut novel I Am the Cage — and also Adam’s wife. In this special episode, Allison and Adam dive into Allison’s book, inspired by her experience growing up with a congenital limb discrepancy and undergoing a complicated medical procedure at a formative age. They explore the lessons for identity, shame, trust, and agency. They also reflect on what they’ve taught each other about parenting, share practices that have helped them in their marriage, and discuss strategies for managing anxiety and staying grounded. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/RWAGscripts Join us in person at a TED conference: https://tedtalks.social/events Become a TED Member to support our mission: https://ted.com/membership Subscribe to a TED newsletter: https://ted.com/newsletters Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts The TED Audio Collective is a collection of podcasts for the curious. The TED Audio Collective videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organiz...). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com.

TED🇨🇦VancouverDec 2025

More Talks

Rebuilding Workplace Culture

Corporate Culture Summit 2025May 2025

Rethinking Leadership Assumptions

Wharton Leadership Conference 2024Apr 2024

The real reason you procrastinate

WorkLife with Adam Grant 2020Mar 2020

The Daily Show's secret to creativity

WorkLife with Adam Grant 2018Mar 2018

Are you a giver or a taker?

TED@IBM 2016Nov 2016

The surprising habits of original thinkers

TED2016🇨🇦VancouverFeb 2016
Speaking Style

At a Glance

10
Talks

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Adam Grant