Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

Grant opens the chapter by describing the life of a man who seems to be honest, humble, giving, and full of integrity, but then reveals him to be Kenneth Lay, “a primary villain in the Enron scandal” (27). According to Grant, Lay was a “faker,” a taker pretending to be a giver. Even though Lay rose from poverty, served in the Navy and US government, headed a company that was named one of the best places to work, and claimed that one of his favorite values was the golden rule, Lay’s behavior demonstrated a disconnect between his words and actions.

Grant discusses various ways to spot a taker, especially one who is in a position of power, such as the chief executive officer (CEO) of a company. He mentions that takers often display deference and charm to those in positions of power but treat their subordinates poorly. Since most people at work are matchers, individuals who value fairness, they tend to punish takers by spreading information about them. As a result, the reputations of takers suffer.

Apart from reputational information, other clues that a CEO may be a taker include: “lekking” (a term Grant borrows from the animal kingdom, which is akin to peacocking, or showing off); overusing first-person singular pronouns (I, me, myself) when talking about their company; receiving a disproportionately high amount of compensation compared to the next-highest earner in their company; and including overly large photos of themselves in annual reports.