Adam Grant

Adam Grant
Foundations World Economic Forum · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Adam Grant
Birth date	1981
Birth place	West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Organizational psychologist, author, professor
Alma mater	Harvard University; University of Michigan
Employer	The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Adam Grant

Adam Grant is an American organizational psychologist, author, and professor known for research on workplace behavior, motivation, and generosity. He holds faculty positions and has written bestselling books that bridge academic research and management practice. Grant is active in public speaking, media commentary, and podcasting, engaging audiences across academia, business, and popular culture.

Early life and education

Grant was born in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, and grew up in a family with roots in Detroit, Michigan State University-connected communities and Jewish cultural institutions. He attended Birmingham Groves High School and later studied at Harvard College for his undergraduate degree, where he interacted with scholars affiliated with Harvard Business School and research centers linked to Harvard University. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan in organizational psychology, working with faculty who had connections to Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and research networks that include American Psychological Association members.

Academic career and research

Grant joined the faculty of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, contributing to departments and programs connected to Wharton Leadership Program and collaborative institutes such as the Wharton People Analytics initiative. His research covers topics studied by scholars from Stanford University, Columbia Business School, and London Business School, including pro-social motivation, job design, and creative performance. Grant has published empirical work in journals like Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Psychological Science, and his studies often draw on methods used by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale School of Management, and University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He has collaborated with academics from Northwestern University, University of California, Berkeley, and Duke University on experiments and field studies examining helping behavior, job crafting, and leadership. His findings intersect with research agendas advanced at organizations such as McKinsey & Company, Gallup, and Deloitte through applied consultancy and translational scholarship.

Books and popular writing

Grant is the author of several widely read books that translate research for managers and general readers, sold alongside titles from authors affiliated with Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins. His books include works comparing ideas advanced in texts from Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Kahneman, Angela Duckworth, and Charles Duhigg on decision-making, grit, and habit. Grant has written essays and opinion pieces for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, and his popular articles appear in outlets like Harvard Business Review and Fortune. He has been featured in anthologies and compilations alongside voices from Bill Gates, Sheryl Sandberg, and Reid Hoffman, and his books have been translated and distributed through publishers working with Global Publishing networks.

Public speaking, media, and podcasts

Grant speaks at conferences and events organized by groups including TED, World Economic Forum, and corporate forums hosted by Google, Microsoft, and Apple. He has appeared on television and radio programs produced by NPR, CBS, and BBC and has been interviewed by hosts from 60 Minutes and The Daily Show-style formats. Grant hosts and co-hosts podcasts that discuss work life, creativity, and productivity alongside guests from Google X, Facebook, Amazon, NASA, and leading academic institutions such as Princeton University and Cornell University. His talks are frequently cited by leaders at Fortune 500 companies, non-profits like Teach For America, and policy forums run by organizations such as Brookings Institution.

Awards, honors, and affiliations

Grant’s honors include recognitions from professional bodies such as Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, selection for lists curated by Forbes, and fellowships with organizations tied to Johns Hopkins University-affiliated initiatives. He serves on advisory boards and collaborates with entities including Wharton Behavioral Lab, National Academy of Sciences-linked projects, and industry partnerships with firms like LinkedIn and IDEO. Grant has delivered keynote addresses at conferences sponsored by American Management Association and received awards that place him among peers celebrated by Academy of Management.

Category:American psychologists Category:Living people Category:University of Pennsylvania faculty