Tips of Wiseberg #1. Adam Grant. "Give and Take".
Feb 23
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Guntars Baikovs
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We understand wisdom as God’s good
and wise design for our lives, as
principles built deep into the very fabric of creation and society. What it gives you… it is like a super power, like magical glasses.
God’s
wisdom gives you the ability to see clearly and to understand deeply what works and
what doesn’t.
Adam Grant and his book “Give and Take:
A Revolutionary approach to
success.”
First, some ideas from this very fine and insightful book. I like it a
lot. And then some comments from Biblical wisdom’s perspective.
Tip of Wiseberg. Adam Grant. "Give and take."
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Adam Grant describes three groups of people. Takers, givers and matchers.
Takers are self-centred, and focused only on what benefits they can get from others.
Givers are driven by the desire to help others and create success for the group.
Matchers strive for equal, fair exchanges with others.
Now… the question is - who will succeed the most? What kind of person will be the best for the success of your organization?
Conventional wisdom would say… probably takers. And they may to some extent. They are driven. It's all about me making it. But if they are too persistent, they may scarify others. They may lose respect, connections, etc.
Adam Grant, based on his research, shows that those are the Givers who often achieve the top positions in society, because they focus on the greater good. And they are the ones who benefit the companies they work the most, for they try to bring up others as well, not only themselves, which means working not for their self-interest, but for the good of the company, for the good of your organization. Also true, givers have a higher risk of burnouts, and being abused by takers. So, they need to be mindful. And you need to value and protect them.
If you acquire God’s wisdom, if you understand deep principles of God’s good and wise design, then those “revolutionary discoveries” will not only make sense to you, but you will only be able to understand and explain why, why it works that way, and why it wouldn’t work the other way around.
Thus, for example, Biblical teaching that we are created in God’s image and likeness helps us to understand that we are created for Two Kinds of Relationships with our God and with one another. To receive the most important things in this life from God – our ID, significance, security, meaning, etc., and then to serve others freely and joyfully with everything we have.
This is why Jesus says: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And Paul: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
See, this is why the givers would succeed in the long term. For they have aligned with God’s good and wise design for our lives.
And then, Biblical teaching of vocation helps us to understand why the givers would not only succeed in what they do, but also live much more satisfied and fulfilling lives.
And then, Biblical teaching on sin and idolatry helps us to understand why there are so few givers, when it makes sense to live that way, and why there are so many takers, even if that doesn’t make that much sense. What is wrong with us?!
See, Biblical wisdom does help us to understand such “a revolutionary approach to success” and so much more...
Takers are self-centred, and focused only on what benefits they can get from others.
Givers are driven by the desire to help others and create success for the group.
Matchers strive for equal, fair exchanges with others.
Now… the question is - who will succeed the most? What kind of person will be the best for the success of your organization?
Conventional wisdom would say… probably takers. And they may to some extent. They are driven. It's all about me making it. But if they are too persistent, they may scarify others. They may lose respect, connections, etc.
Adam Grant, based on his research, shows that those are the Givers who often achieve the top positions in society, because they focus on the greater good. And they are the ones who benefit the companies they work the most, for they try to bring up others as well, not only themselves, which means working not for their self-interest, but for the good of the company, for the good of your organization. Also true, givers have a higher risk of burnouts, and being abused by takers. So, they need to be mindful. And you need to value and protect them.
If you acquire God’s wisdom, if you understand deep principles of God’s good and wise design, then those “revolutionary discoveries” will not only make sense to you, but you will only be able to understand and explain why, why it works that way, and why it wouldn’t work the other way around.
Thus, for example, Biblical teaching that we are created in God’s image and likeness helps us to understand that we are created for Two Kinds of Relationships with our God and with one another. To receive the most important things in this life from God – our ID, significance, security, meaning, etc., and then to serve others freely and joyfully with everything we have.
This is why Jesus says: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And Paul: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
See, this is why the givers would succeed in the long term. For they have aligned with God’s good and wise design for our lives.
And then, Biblical teaching of vocation helps us to understand why the givers would not only succeed in what they do, but also live much more satisfied and fulfilling lives.
And then, Biblical teaching on sin and idolatry helps us to understand why there are so few givers, when it makes sense to live that way, and why there are so many takers, even if that doesn’t make that much sense. What is wrong with us?!
See, Biblical wisdom does help us to understand such “a revolutionary approach to success” and so much more...
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