Adam Grant's Simple Matrix to Get Employees (or Kids) More Engaged and Creative

When it comes to praise, leaders of any type (be they managers, parents, or coaches) hold unique power. The actions they exalt become standards of success, while those they critique become standards of failure.

Too often, leaders praise the wrong things and leave good work unremarked upon. The effect is that the people over whom they hold influence (be they employees, children, or mentees) are more likely to avoid risk-taking or to second-guess their abilities, in turn paralyzing their own success.

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant, the bestselling author and Wharton professor, addresses this tension. To guardrail yourself from this mistake, consider Grant’s simple praise-giving matrix.