When we become curious about the dissatisfying defaults in our world, we begin to recognize that most of them have social origins: Rules and systems … - Adam Grant

Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds.” Albert Einstein

When we select leaders, we don’t usually pick the person with the strongest leadership skills. We frequently choose the person who talks the most. It’s called the babble effect. Research shows that groups promote the people who command the most airtime — regardless of their aptitude and expertise. We mistake confidence for competence, certainty for credibility, and quantity for quality. We get stuck following people who dominate the discussion instead of those who elevate it.

The greatest communicators of all time,” says communication expert Nancy Duarte — who has spent her career studying the shape of superb presentations — start by establishing “what is: here’s the status quo.” Then, they “compare that to what could be,” making “that gap as big as possible.