--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Successful givers, it turns out, are just…" description: "\"“Successful givers, it turns out, are just as ambitious as takers and matchers.”\" — Adam M. Grant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/adam-m-grant-1427_ambitious_successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just_551416.jpg" --- # Successful givers, it turns out, are just as ambitious as… ![“Successful givers, it turns out, are just as ambitious as takers and matchers.” quote by Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/adam-m-grant-1427_ambitious_successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just_551416.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/adam-m-grant-1427_ambitious_successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just_551416.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/adam-m-grant-1427_ambitious_successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just_551416.jpg) > ““Successful givers, it turns out, are just as ambitious as takers and matchers.”” [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ambitious people can thrive by helping others, not just by taking for themselves. **In simple terms:** Helping others can be a path to success. Key Takeaway Cultivate generosity while staying ambitious. Themes generosity ambition social dynamics Mood inspirational thought‑provoking Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - networking events - team projects - mentoring programs Key Concepts reciprocity psychology leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can you be generous without sacrificing goals? - What incentives encourage giving? A Different Perspective Success may require balancing self‑interest with altruism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Givers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/givers/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“So if givers are most likely to land at the bottom of the success ladder, who’s at the top—takers or matchers? Neither. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/so-if-givers-are-most-likely-to-land-at-the-bottom-of-the-success-2/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Although many successful givers start from the default of trusting others’ intentions, they’re also careful to scan their environments to screen for potential takers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/although-many-successful-givers-start-from-the-default-of-trusting/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“We all have goals for our own individual achievments, and it turns out that the givers who excel are willing to ask for help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/we-all-have-goals-for-our-own-individual-achievments-and-it-turns-out/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [The most successful givers aren’t doing it because they’re being told to. They do it because doing it is fun. It gives them joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-most-successful-givers-aren-t-doing-it-because-they-re-being-told/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [This is what I find most magnetic about successful givers: they get to the top without cutting others down, finding ways of expanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-is-what-i-find-most-magnetic-about-successful-givers-they-get-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The worst performers and the best performers are givers; takers and matchers are more likely to land in the middle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/the-worst-performers-and-the-best-performers-are-givers-takers-and/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“takers and matchers make hard-and-fast assumptions about just who will be able to provide the most benefit in exchange. At its core, the giver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/takers-and-matchers-make-hard-and-fast-assumptions-about-just-who/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“This is why many takers and matchers started giving on Freecycle. It’s an efficient way to get rid of things they don’t want and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/this-is-why-many-takers-and-matchers-started-giving-on-freecycle-it-s/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [Successful givers secure their oxygen masks before coming to the assistance of others. Although their motives may be less purely altruistic, their actions prove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/successful-givers-secure-their-oxygen-masks-before-coming-to-the/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [“when everyone contributes, the pie is larger, and givers are no longer stuck contributing far more than they get.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/when-everyone-contributes-the-pie-is-larger-and-givers-are-no-longer/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Whereas success is zero-sum in a group of takers, in groups of givers, it may be true that the whole is greater than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/whereas-success-is-zero-sum-in-a-group-of-takers-in-groups-of-givers/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“If I asked you to guess who’s the most likely to end up at the bottom of the success ladder, what would you say—takers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/if-i-asked-you-to-guess-who-s-the-most-likely-to-end-up-at-the-bottom/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Takers tend to worry that revealing weaknesses will compromise their dominance and authority. Givers are much more comfortable expressing vulnerability: they’re interested in helping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/takers-tend-to-worry-that-revealing-weaknesses-will-compromise-their/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“On Freecycle, givers modeled a standard that seemed attainable. When members saw a ninety-eight-year-old man building bikes for kids, they knew they could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/on-freecycle-givers-modeled-a-standard-that-seemed-attainable-when/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“So if givers are most likely to land at the bottom of the success ladder, who’s at the top—takers or matchers? Neither. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/so-if-givers-are-most-likely-to-land-at-the-bottom-of-the-success/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) ## More by Adam M. Grant > [“the higher the psychological safety in a unit, the fewer errors they made. Why? In the units that lacked psychological safety, health care professionals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/the-higher-the-psychological-safety-in-a-unit-the-fewer-errors-they/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“And in the long run, research shows that the mistakes we regret are not errors of commission, but errors of omission. If we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/and-in-the-long-run-research-shows-that-the-mistakes-we-regret-are/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Although many successful givers start from the default of trusting others’ intentions, they’re also careful to scan their environments to screen for potential takers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/although-many-successful-givers-start-from-the-default-of-trusting/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“I want to debunk the myth that originality requires extreme risk taking and persuade you that originals are actually far more ordinary than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/i-want-to-debunk-the-myth-that-originality-requires-extreme-risk/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“the change of context brought renewed energy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/the-change-of-context-brought-renewed-energy/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“I was dismayed to discover that even today, speaking while female remains notoriously difficult. Across cultures, there’s a rich body of evidence showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/i-was-dismayed-to-discover-that-even-today-speaking-while-female/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Setting high expectations is so important,” Skender says. “You have to push people, make them stretch and do more than they think possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/setting-high-expectations-is-so-important-skender-says-you-have-to/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“analysts were more likely to maintain their star performance if they worked with high-quality colleagues in their teams and departments. The star analysts relied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/analysts-were-more-likely-to-maintain-their-star-performance-if-they/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Speak softly, but carry a big stick. —Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. president”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/speak-softly-but-carry-a-big-stick-theodore-roosevelt-u-s-president/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Talented people are attracted to those who care about them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/talented-people-are-attracted-to-those-who-care-about-them/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“When our audiences are skeptical, the more we try to dominate them, the more they resist. Even with a receptive audience, dominance is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/when-our-audiences-are-skeptical-the-more-we-try-to-dominate-them-the/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Whereas success is zero-sum in a group of takers, in groups of givers, it may be true that the whole is greater than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/whereas-success-is-zero-sum-in-a-group-of-takers-in-groups-of-givers/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“Tim Long adds that “there’s something magical about getting the reputation as someone who cares about others more than yourself. It redounds to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/tim-long-adds-that-there-s-something-magical-about-getting-the/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“In a classic experiment, when people received help from one peer, they were more likely to give help to another peer, matching by following…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/in-a-classic-experiment-when-people-received-help-from-one-peer-they/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/a-new-scientific-truth-does-not-triumph-by-convincing-its-opponents/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) [Explore all 241 Adam M. Grant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) ## More Ambitious quotes > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Getting rich is easy, staying rich is impressive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/getting-rich-is-easy-staying-rich-is-impressive/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [I am ambitious to do more than what has been offered me. I want to be the best in whatever career I choose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uday-chopra/i-am-ambitious-to-do-more-than-what-has-been-offered-me-i-want-to-be/) [Uday Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uday-chopra/) > [There are four varieties in society — the lovers, the ambitious, observers, and fools. The fools are the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-four-varieties-in-society-the-lovers-the-ambitious/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I understood early on that I was not the best-looking girl in the room. But I knew my advantage was a hard work ethic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/i-understood-early-on-that-i-was-not-the-best-looking-girl-in-the/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [To talk only about national security, national defense, means to be selfish, ambitious. It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/to-talk-only-about-national-security-national-defense-means-to-be/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) [Browse all 1,269 Ambitious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Successful givers, it turns out, are just as ambitious as takers and matchers.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam M. Grant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just-as-ambitious-as-takers-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambitious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just-as-ambitious-as-takers-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/adam-m-grant-1427_ambitious_successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just_551416.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/adam-m-grant-1427_ambitious_successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just_551416.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/adam-m-grant-1427_ambitious_successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just_551416.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Successful givers, it turns out, are just as ambitious as takers and matchers.” — Adam M. Grant", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adam M. Grant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Successful givers, it turns out, are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just-as-ambitious-as-takers-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/successful-givers-it-turns-out-are-just-as-ambitious-as-takers-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```