Risk & Business Magazine Miller Insurance Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 19

THE FEEDBACK SANDWICH
something that can help you do that.”
Next I took myself off a pedestal. “I see
this as a two-way street—there’s a lot
I can learn from you about leadership.
Who are the leaders who have taught
you the most in your career?”
He gave me a few examples, and one
was a leader with a clear, compelling
vision. I took the opening and asked
if he wanted feedback: “Your team
actually has some pretty consistent
views on how you can deliver your
vision. Do you want to hear them?”
HE NODDED
AND TOOK OUT
A PEN. I SHARED
A FEW OF THEIR
OBSERVATIONS
AND ASKED IF
HE AGREED. HE
DID—HE NEEDED
TO CLARIFY THE
VISION. A FEW
WEEKS LATER, HE
STOOD UP AND
ROLLED OUT HIS
VISION. IT WAS
A TRIUMPH.
Later that year the company
failed anyway. But if I had given
a compliment sandwich, it might
have failed even sooner.
Adam Grant has been Wharton’s  top-rated professor  for  six straight years. He
is a leading expert on how we can find motivation and meaning and live more
generous and creative lives. He has been recognized as one of the world’s 10 most
influential management thinkers and Fortune’s 40 under 40.
He is the author of three New York Times bestselling books that have sold over
a million copies and been translated into 35 languages. Give and Take examines
why helping others drives our success and was named one of the best books of
2013 by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal—as
well as one of  Oprah’s riveting reads and  Harvard Business Review’s  ideas
that shaped management.  Originals explores how individuals champion new
ideas and leaders fight groupthink; it was a #1 bestseller praised by J.J. Abrams,
Richard Branson, and Malcolm Gladwell. Option B, with Sheryl Sandberg, is a #1
bestseller on facing adversity and building resilience.
Adam was profiled in The New York Times Magazine cover story, Is giving the
secret to getting ahead? He was tenured at Wharton while still in his twenties
and has received the Excellence in Teaching Award for every class that he has
taught. He is the founder and host of the Authors@Wharton speaker series, and
co-director of Wharton People Analytics. He has designed experiential learning
activities in which students have raised over $325,000 for the Make-A-Wish
Foundation while developing leadership, influence, networking and collaboration
skills. He is a passionate feminist who serves on the Lean Inboard and the Defense
Innovation Board at the Pentagon.
Adam earned his Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of
Michigan, completing it in less than three years, and his B.A. from Harvard
University, magna cum laude with highest honors and Phi Beta Kappa honors.
He has earned awards for distinguished scholarly achievement from the Academy
of Management, the American Psychological Association, and the National
Science Foundation. His pioneering research has increased performance and
reduced burnout among engineers, teachers, and salespeople, and motivated
safety behaviors among doctors, nurses, and lifeguards. His studies have been
highlighted in bestselling books such as Quiet by Susan Cain, Drive by Daniel
Pink, and David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. He is a former magician and
Junior Olympic springboard diver
adamgrant.net
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