Top Wharton Professor Shares His Counterintuitive Theory For Success

Google's favorite psychologist Adam Grant has a very specific theory on motivation. He says that, when done right, "giving" — helping others — is the key to success.

It may sound counterintuitive, but Grant is a successful guy who got ahead using this principle. He's Wharton's youngest-tenured and highest-rated professor, specializing in organizational psychology, and one of Google's go-to guys who helps the tech company figure out how to maximize productivity and create more efficient teams.

In a New York Times article, Susan Dominus wrote that, "for Grant, helping is not the enemy of productivity, a time-sapping diversion from the actual work at hand; it is the mother lode, the motivator that spurs increased productivity and creativity. In some sense, he has built a career in professional motivation by trying to unpack the puzzle of his own success."

We recently sat down with Grant to talk about his theory of motivation, which he discusses in his new book, "Give and Take." Watch our conversation here:

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