HBR's 10 Must Reads Boxed Set (Updated + Expanded, 6 Books)

7

Beat Generosity Burnout

by Adam Grant and Reb Rebele

When the leaders of the world dispense advice to the next generation, they tend to emphasize the same message: Help others. That was a key theme in almost two-thirds of graduation speeches at U.S. universities, according to one study.

Those who have “made it” promise graduates that being generous—readily sharing their time, energy, and expertise—will lead to a successful career and a meaningful, happy life. It can, but it doesn’t always. The road to exhaustion is often paved with good intentions.

Four years ago one of us, Adam, published a book called Give and Take. It was about how generous “givers” succeed in ways that lift others up instead of cutting them down. It turned out that givers ...