Great Work by David Sturt Summary

Great Work by David Sturt explores strategies for creating meaningful, impactful contributions in any profession. It combines research from 1.7 million workplace success stories to identify habits of top performers, emphasizing innovation, proactive problem-solving, and aligning work with audience needs. The book provides actionable frameworks like the "5 Great Work Skills" to help readers elevate their output beyond routine tasks.

This book is ideal for professionals seeking to innovate in their careers, managers aiming to foster impactful teams, and entrepreneurs building purpose-driven organizations. It’s particularly relevant for HR leaders and recognition specialists, given Sturt’s expertise in workplace culture at O.C. Tanner, a global employee recognition firm.

Yes—the New York Times bestselling book offers evidence-based methods to transform ordinary tasks into extraordinary outcomes. Readers gain tools to identify unmet needs, refine ideas through feedback, and measure impact. Its blend of case studies and practical steps makes it valuable for anyone seeking career growth or organizational influence.

Sturt introduces five core skills:

• Spotting unmet needs in daily work
• Refining ideas through iterative feedback
• Delivering difference by aligning outcomes with audience values
• Persisting through challenges using intrinsic motivation
• Recognizing breakthroughs to reinforce innovation

The book’s principles align with modern hybrid work by teaching employees to identify virtual collaboration gaps, managers to appreciate distributed contributions, and organizations to systematize recognition—a key focus of Sturt’s work at O.C. Tanner, which pioneered digital recognition platforms.

Some reviewers note the frameworks require sustained effort to implement, making them challenging for time-constrained professionals. Others suggest pairing the book with O.C. Tanner’s recognition tools for maximum real-world impact.

While James Clear’s Atomic Habits focuses on incremental personal routines, Sturt’s Great Work emphasizes organizational-level innovation through team-based problem-solving. Both books value small, consistent improvements but differ in scope—individual habits vs. systemic workplace change.

Key lines include:

• “Great work starts with a question, not an answer.”
• “The difference that makes a difference isn’t about effort—it’s about impact.”

These emphasize shifting from task completion to value creation.

Drawing on Sturt’s 18+ years at O.C. Tanner, the book argues that meaningful recognition fuels innovation. It provides strategies for leaders to celebrate “difference-making” moments, linking appreciation to measurable business outcomes.

As AI automates routine tasks, the book’s focus on human-centric innovation—like empathy-driven problem-solving and team recognition—remains critical for workplace relevance. Sturt’s recent Forbes columns reinforce these themes amid AI adoption trends.

While Great Work focuses on creating impact, Appreciate (Sturt’s 2025 release) explores sustaining it through recognition. Together, they form a lifecycle model: innovate → measure → celebrate → repeat.

The title phrase encapsulates Sturt’s thesis: exceptional work solves problems so effectively that recipients actively admire and advocate for the solution. It’s quantified through O.C. Tanner’s research on workplace recognition drivers.