Angela Duckworth is a renowned psychologist and author known for her research on grit and its impact on success. She defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals, and her work has shown that grit is a better predictor of success than factors like IQ or talent. Duckworth earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in neurobiology from Harvard College and later pursued a Master’s degree in neuroscience from Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar. She completed her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she currently serves as the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor.

Before pursuing her Ph.D., Duckworth worked in several fields. She was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and later taught math and science in public schools, which provided her with valuable insights into the challenges faced by students and educators in the classroom. This experience influenced her interest in education and motivation, and prompted her to obtain her doctorate. In 2013, Duckworth was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, often referred to as the genius grant.

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston who studies vulnerability, courage, empathy, and shame. Her data sets encompass the stories of thousands of people, and her work uncovers “the truth about the emotional blind spots that hold us back both personally and professionally.”

As a speaker and author, Brown tackles tough topics “with wisdom, wit, candor and a deep sense of humanity.” She is the host of two weekly podcasts, the first researcher with a Netflix Special, and the author of six #1 New York Times best sellers. Her latest book, Atlas of the Heart, is covered in a five-part series on HBO Max.

Today, most of Brené’s time is dedicated to cultivating “braver leaders and more-courageous cultures” in organizations around the world. She also holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, where she earned both her Master of and Ph.D. in Social Work. Furthermore, she is a visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, where she earned her Bachelor of Social Work.

As one of the world’s leading authorities on success and achievement, Brian Tracy has helped thousands of people reach their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Tracy is a consultant, motivational speaker, author, and coach. He is also the CEO of Brian Tracy International. Founded in 1984, the company specializes “in the training and development of individuals and organizations.”

Ironically, Tracy’s fascination with success began as a result of an unsuccessful career in sales. As a struggling young salesman who desperately wanted to improve his performance (and keep his job), Tracy knew that something had to change. So, he took action. He sought out the most successful salespeople around him, studied their habits, and took notes. Little did he know, these notes would not only improve his performance as a salesman – they’d also become the foundation for his forty-year career in consulting, coaching, and professional development.

Over the course of his career, Tracy has developed a variety of resources, learning tools, and content “covering the entire spectrum of human and corporate performance.” He is the author of over 70 books, more than 500 audio and video learning programs, and a blog dedicated to success. He also creates informational and inspirational videos based on his seminars and motivational speaking engagements. Among his key areas of focus are personal and professional development, public speaking, time management, sales training, personal achievement, and leadership excellence.

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist and top-rated professor who “explores the science of motivation, generosity, original thinking, and rethinking” to help others find meaning at work and in life. As a faculty member at The Wharton School of Business, he leads pioneering studies and courses on subjects like leadership, negotiation, and organizational behavior. Outside of the classroom, Grant is an admired TED speaker and the host of WorkLife, a TED original podcast that “takes you inside some truly unusual places where they’ve figured out how to make work not suck.”

Aside from researching, teaching about, and speaking on topics that are at the intersection of work and psychology, Grant also writes about them. He is the author of 5 New York Times bestselling books, and he regularly contributes to The New York Times. In 2021, his op-ed on languishing and finding flow was actually the paper’s most-read article of the year.

Read on for more about Grant’s work, content, and unique career perspectives. In the meantime, he will continue to study “how we can find motivation and meaning, rethink assumptions, and live more generous and creative lives.

With twenty years in the personal branding industry, William Arruda is a go-to, trusted source for all things personal and digital branding. Over the last two decades, he’s presented on the subject more than 2,000 times; written three personal branding books; and reached nearly two million people with his personal brand survey, 360°Reach. Accordingly, he’s been dubbed “the personal branding guru” by Entrepreneur and the “father of personal branding” by Inc.

In the early days of his career, Arruda worked in branding for large companies. It was neither his plan nor his expectation to become an entrepreneur, bestselling author, or motivational speaker. Then, he came across Tom Peters’ “The Brand Called You” and everything changed. This “now-iconic Fast Company article” sparked Arruda’s decision to “focus on the human side of branding” and start his own personal branding company – a dream that came to fruition with the launch of Reach Personal Branding in 2001. Since the conception of this ground-breaking organization, Arruda has inspired “millions of professionals to nix conformity and uncover their unique personal brand so they can deliver greater value to their company and have infinitely more fun at work.”

For Arruda’s recent insights on personal and digital branding, pick up a copy of his latest book, Digital YOU: Real Personal Branding in the Virtual Age. For a larger selection of his “thoughts on personal branding, leadership development, and social media,” see any of the publications that feature his work. These include Forbes (where Arruda is a Senior Contributor), Thrive Global, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. If watching videos is more your style, visit CareerBlast to interact with Arruda’s content. Co-founded by Arruda and executive coach Ora Shtull, this “personal branding plus platform” includes everything you need to “stand out and move up” in today’s competitive job market.

By virtue of his original ideas and “innovative views on business and leadership,” Simon Sinek has become a leader in what he describes as the “help others” industry. He is a source of optimism for many, a bestselling author, and a keynote speaker whose first TED Talk rose to become one of the most viewed TED Talks of all time.

In this seminal TED Talk from 2009, Sinek introduced the world to his concept of WHY. In the years since, his fascination with “how the greatest leaders and organizations think, act, and communicate” has blossomed into his life’s work. Inspired by the Japanese design concept of wabi sabi, Sinek and his team of innovators and master trainers continuously improve themselves while leading the movement to build a more inspired and more inspiring world. Specifically, their goal is to build “a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do.”

While his focus is not directly on career-related topics, Sinek’s gift for articulating simple ideas and concepts in a compelling way is applicable to nearly every industry. Each day, he shares this gift with individuals and organizations around the world through his social media posts, speaking engagements, customized programs, online courses, podcast episodes/appearances, videos, and bestselling books. Regardless of how you choose to interact with his work, Sinek’s ideas are sure to provide a thought-provoking experience that leaves you feeling more optimistic and inspired than you did before!

Dorie Clark is a strategy consultant and communication coach who empowers professionals to future-proof their careers and live their unique personal brands. She consults and speaks for clients like Google and Microsoft, writes for publications like Forbes and the Harvard Business Review, and teaches at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and Columbia Business School. She is also the award-winning author of Reinventing You and Stand Out. But things weren’t always this way.

Before being “named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50,” Dorie worked as a journalist, presidential campaign spokeswoman, nonprofit executive director, jazz album producer, and documentary filmmaker. That is to say, she has firsthand experience with professional reinvention, and she now uses this experience to help others reinvent themselves. Her additional areas of expertise include personal branding, communications, and management.

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is an executive educator, leadership coach, and pioneer in his field. Having spent nearly four decades in the executive coaching industry, his methods are trusted by CEOs, HR professionals, large organizations, and top executives worldwide.

According to Goldsmith, his mission is simple: “to help successful people achieve positive, lasting change in behavior; for themselves, their people, and their teams.” Practical advice and 360-degree feedback are the foundation of his approach, which has earned him praise and recognition from Thinkers50, Inc., Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the Institute for Management Studies, the American Management Association, and more.

Free tips, tools, resources, content, and materials from the Thinkers50 “World’s Most Influential Leadership Thinker” are available on Goldsmith’s website. For more on his ideas and methods, you can also browse his collection of bestselling books. His titles have been recognized by the New York Times and translated into over 30 languages.

©2024 PathWise. All Rights Reserved
chevron-down