"To make sense of bossiness, we need to tease apart two fundamental aspects of social hierarchy that ..." — Adam Grant

Bragging about yourself violates norms of modesty and politeness - and if you were really competent, your work would speak for itself.

Takers believe in a zero-sum world, and they end up creating one where bosses, colleagues and clients don't trust them. Givers build deeper and broader relationships - people are rooting for them instead of gunning for them.

It's ironic that when you go through a tragedy, you appreciate more. You realize how fragile life is and that there are so many things to still be thankful for.

One of the signs of a bad coworker is a pattern of persistent undermining - intentionally hindering a colleague's success, reputation, or relationships.