Think Again - Adam Grant
After years of consuming material focused on confidence, decisiveness, and unwavering vision, I approached Adam Grant’s Think Again with some scepticism. The premise, that our greatest strength lies not in thinking but in rethinking, seemed to contradict much of what I had been taught about leadership and strategy. Yet, as I worked through Grant’s meticulously researched arguments, I was forced to confront an uncomfortable truth: many of my mistakes may not have stemmed from thinking too little, but from rethinking too rarely.
Grant, an organisational psychologist at Wharton, challenges the conventional wisdom that successful leaders must project certainty and cling to their convictions. Instead, he argues that the ability to question assumptions, revise beliefs, and change one’s mind is the ultimate competitive advantage in an ever-changing world.
The Four Modes of Thinking
Grant presents a framework that reframes how we approach decision-making in business:
Preacher Mode: In this mode, we defend and promote our ideals. In business, this appears as rigidly defending strategies, products, or processes simply because we are invested in them. Leaders in preacher mode become evangelists for their own ideas, even when those ideas are no longer fit for purpose.
Prosecutor Mode: Here, we attempt to prove others wrong and win arguments. In the workplace, this can be seen in the need to dominate meetings, discredit opposing proposals, and protect preferred approaches. While critical thinking is important, this mode often shuts down openness to better alternatives.
Politician Mode: We campaign for approval, tailoring messages to please stakeholders. Leaders in this mode may prioritise likeability or support over honesty, telling investors what they want to hear, employees what will motivate them, and customers whatever will drive sales, irrespective of the facts.
Scientist Mode: The ideal mode, according to Grant. Here, we seek truth by running experiments, gathering data, and adjusting our hypotheses based on evidence. In this mindset, being wrong is not a failure, but a sign of learning.
The most effective leaders are those who can intentionally shift into scientist mode, especially in moments of uncertainty or during high-stakes decisions.
The Confidence Trap
Grant's challenge to the cult of confidence is one of his most striking arguments. Business culture often celebrates unwavering self-belief, yet this very confidence may be our downfall.
The Dunning–Kruger Effect in Business: Those with limited knowledge in a domain often feel the most confident. Entrepreneurs launching ventures in unfamiliar industries frequently overestimate their competence, when caution and curiosity would serve them better.
Confident Humility: Grant introduces the idea of confident humility, being confident in one’s ability to achieve goals while remaining humble about the methods used to reach them. This might involve committing to a market while staying flexible on product strategy, or believing in a team’s potential while questioning organisational structure.
The Art of Productive Disagreement
Grant explores how disagreement, when well-managed, can be a source of innovation:
Task vs. Relationship Conflict: High-performing teams engage in task conflict, debating ideas without letting it damage personal relationships. The goal is better outcomes, not personal victory.
The Devil’s Advocate Fallacy: Assigning someone to play devil’s advocate rarely works, as the performance is usually inauthentic. Instead, Grant encourages genuine dissent, where team members with differing views have real influence.
Red Teaming: Borrowed from military practice, red teams are tasked with identifying flaws in proposed strategies. Unlike devil’s advocates, red teams operate with full commitment to finding better solutions.
Motivational Interviewing for Leaders
Drawing on therapeutic practices, Grant introduces motivational interviewing as a leadership tool:
Ask, Don’t Tell: Rather than giving directives, ask questions that prompt insight. “What challenges are you seeing with this approach?” encourages reflection more effectively than criticism.
Find the Why: Help people articulate their own reasons for embracing change. Self-generated motivation is more durable.
Listen for ‘Change Talk’: Phrases like “I wonder if...” or “Maybe we could...” signal openness to new ideas.
The Rethinking Cycle
Grant outlines a continuous learning cycle:
Intellectual Humility: Accept that your knowledge has limits.
Doubt: Question your strongest-held beliefs.
Curiosity: Explore ideas with a desire to learn.
Discovery: Actively seek disconfirming evidence.
Rethinking: Update your views, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Practical Applications for Leaders
Weekly Assumption Audits: Regularly challenge core beliefs about customers, markets, or competitors.
Failure Parties: Celebrate intelligent failures that led to insight.
Opinion Swapping: Encourage team members to argue the opposite of their usual stance.
Prediction Tracking: Record and review forecasts to identify blind spots.
Diverse Advisory Networks: Include people from different industries and perspectives to broaden your thinking.
Learning from Masters of Rethinking
Grant illustrates his ideas with real-world examples:
Ray Dalio (Bridgewater Associates): Embraces radical transparency and weighted decision-making based on credibility.
Kathryn Schulz: Argues that mistakes offer deep insight, often more than successes.
Erin McCarthy: Transitioned from vaccine sceptic to advocate, demonstrating the power of respectful dialogue and curiosity.
Buffalo Bills: Reformed their draft process using data, breaking with entrenched beliefs.
Daniel Kahneman: Employed adversarial collaboration to co-author papers with intellectual opponents, strengthening findings.
The Paradox of Expertise
Experts are often more prone to overconfidence than novices, not due to ignorance, but due to prior success. This can create a reluctance to rethink.
Inverse Dunning–Kruger: Experts may become imprisoned by their expertise. Grant argues that real mastery involves acknowledging what you don’t know and staying curious.
Jeff Bezos and Day 1 Thinking: Bezos’s concept of ‘Day 1’ thinking at Amazon reflects a commitment to remain adaptable and experimental, qualities often lost as organisations scale.
Building a Rethinking Culture
Organisations that thrive in uncertainty share cultural traits:
Psychological Safety: People feel safe to speak up.
Process Focus: Celebrate thoughtful decision-making, not just outcomes.
Learning Orientation: Treat setbacks as learning moments.
Cognitive Diversity: Include thinkers from varied backgrounds and disciplines.
The Rethinking Advantage
In today’s volatile world, the capacity to rethink may define long-term success. Those who embrace curiosity over certainty, and learning over ego, will outmanoeuvre competitors stuck in outdated thinking.
As Grant writes, “The purpose of learning isn’t to affirm our beliefs; it’s to evolve them.” Businesses and leaders that internalise this message are far more likely to innovate, adapt, and thrive.
Grant’s 30 Practical Strategies for Rethinking
Think like a scientist, treat beliefs as hypotheses.
Define identity by values, not opinions.
Seek disconfirming evidence.
Resist oversimplified narratives.
Break down complex problems.
Don’t confuse confidence with competence.
Detach beliefs from your identity.
Don’t let past investments trap you.
Find common ground first.
Advocate less to increase credibility.
Reflect on when you’ve been wrong.
Learn something from everyone.
Build a challenge network.
Embrace constructive conflict.
Practise persuasive listening.
Question your questioning.
Run premortems.
Imagine scenarios where you’re wrong.
Focus on learning goals to counter imposter syndrome.
Balance confidence with humility.
Map your decision landscape.
Host myth-busting sessions.
Run experiments.
Question best practices.
Create psychological safety.
Keep a rethinking log.
Make time for mental flexibility.
Hire challengers, not just supporters.
Train teams in productive disagreement.
Celebrate intelligent failures.