"You're a poster child for personal initiative."

In this episode of Limitless Africa, Claude Grunitzky speaks with Adam Grant, bestselling author and organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, about why character skills like discipline and initiative matter more than we think. They unpack surprising research from West Africa showing that entrepreneurs who develop personal initiative outperformed those with traditional training. The episode also explores the importance of failure, second chances, and how African societies can balance cultural tradition with critical thinking.

Plus: What's on Adam Grant's to-don't list

🌟 IN THIS EPISODE:

1.42 Which skills do entrepreneurs need most

3.33 How you can grow your business's profit by over 30%

4.10 How authoritarian systems are bad for these skills

6.19 How the American mindset favours entrepreneurialism

7.38 Why action is important

8.44 How psychological training can overcome poverty and lack of resources

9.58 Three tips for African entrepreneurs

12.06 A question from a reader from Chad

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"You don't need confidence to act. It's acting that actually builds your confidence."

"Vision without execution is hallucination."

"Individual change is daunting, group change is much more doable."

"Tradition is peer pressure from dead people."

🌍 ABOUT LIMITLESS AFRICA

The podcast that asks how Africans and Americans can work together for shared prosperity

Every Monday: 15-minute episodes that dive into an issue that matters to Africans

Every Thursday: extended interview with someone unlocking Africa's limitless potential

➕ WANT MORE?

Can you teach entrepreneurship? Three people who've been there weigh in https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/can-you-teach-entrepreneurship/

Why start-ups will save Africa - Interview with venture capitalist Maya Horgan Famodu https://trueafrica.co/article/limitless/foreign-aid-has-fuelled-corruption-dependence-weak-governance/

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🚀 FOLLOW LIMITLESS AFRICA

Instagram: @_trueafrica

Website: https://trueafrica.co/

Substack: https://claudegrunitzky.substack.com/

Limitless Africa is sponsored by the US Department of State and the Seenfire Foundation.

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