Worklife With Adam Grant

Perfectionism is on the rise–and not just in job interviews when people claim it’s their greatest weakness. But the desire to be flawless is not always productive—or healthy. As a recovering perfectionist, Adam dives into how he managed to abandon the quest for 10s while holding onto his drive for excellence. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/WL45 We have a quick favor to ask you! We love making the show, and we're always trying to make it better. So if you have a few minutes, please take our survey at surveynerds.com/worklife

Great pitches can seem like genius or magic. But you don’t have to be a great salesperson to give a great pitch. Whether you’re floating an idea at a team meeting, looking for investors for your startup, or applying for your next job, life is full of pitching moments. In this episode, we bust myths about what it takes to drum up excitement–and share insights from Hollywood and Silicon Valley on ways to improve your chances of getting your audience on board. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/WL44 We have a quick favor to ask you! We love making the show, and we're always trying to make it better. So if you have a few minutes, please take our survey at surveynerds.com/worklife

“Flexibility” is the number one request people are making from employers. But flexibility is much more than WHERE you work–it also means having the freedom to make choices about what you work on, who you work with, and when and how often you work. This episode examines the science and practice of creating more autonomy– and making it work for people and organizations. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/WL43 We have a quick favor to ask you! We love making the show, and we're always trying to make it better. So if you have a few minutes, please take our survey at surveynerds.com/worklife

Over the past year, the Great Resignation has been all over the news. Many people are celebrating quitting their jobs… but it’s a decision some will come to regret. So when’s the right time to leave? How do you quit without burning bridges? And how can workplaces encourage people to stay? For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/WL42

Dolly Parton is a living legend. Her hit songs like “9 to 5”, “Jolene”, and “I Will Always Love You” have captured generation after generation, and her career is far from slowing down. Her latest project, “Run, Rose, Run” is both a novel co-authored with James Patterson AND its brand-new, full-length companion album. In today’s episode, Adam talks to Dolly about her creative process, how she balances getting things right with getting things DONE, and how she manages the hefty cup of ambition she pours herself each morning. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/T4G26

As Russia continues to attack Ukraine, the whole world is watching a momentous clash of leadership styles. No one is more qualified to analyze the situation than political scientist and former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul. In this episode, he and Adam discuss Putin’s motives, Zelensky’s rise, and the leadership lessons from this crisis. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/T4G25

This hour, futurist Amy Webb guides us through innovations that give a glimpse into the future of transportation, wellness, tech, commerce, and travel ... and the impacts they'll have on our lives. This is an episode of the TED Radio Hour with NPR, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes, you can find and follow the podcast wherever you're listening to this. And we'll see you on March 29 for more WorkLife episodes!

WorkLife will be back on March 29 with new episodes including an incredible conversation with Dolly Parton, and an episode on the (not so) Great Resignation. For now, here's an episode of another show that Adam frequently appears on. It's called The Next Big Idea, presented by LinkedIn. In this episode, Annie Murphy Paul, author of “The Extended Mind” sits down with Adam for a spirited conversation in which she defends the fine art of fidgeting, suggests ways to improve group brainstorms, and gives him advice on how to talk to his childhood sensei. For more episodes, you can find and follow the Next Big Idea wherever you're listening to this.

When Esther Duflo took her first economics class, she hated it. In 2019, she won a Nobel Prize in economics. Esther talks with Adam about her groundbreaking experiments to fight poverty, busts myths about what motivates people, and reveals how to make meaningful progress toward solving daunting problems. Read the text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/T4G24 This was an episode of Taken for Granted, but now the podcast is called ReThinking with Adam Grant, and it’s back with weekly episodes. You can listen to them right here in the WorkLife feed, or by following ReThinking with Adam Grant wherever you are right now. 

PepsiCo's trailblazing former CEO drove record profits—but did so while investing in employee well-being, consumer health, and environmental sustainability. In their second conversation, she and Adam are on stage for a lively, entertaining dialogue about how to improve our work lives and our workplaces. They talk about striking a balance between fitting in and standing out, winning support for major change up and down the org chart, and rethinking business education. Indra also reveals the name of the only world leader who ever intimidated her and why she doesn’t care who wins the battle between Pepsi and Coke. Find the transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/T4G23 This was an episode of Taken for Granted, but now the podcast is called ReThinking with Adam Grant, and it’s back with weekly episodes. You can listen to them right here in the WorkLife feed, or by following ReThinking with Adam Grant wherever you are right now. 

The longtime PepsiCo CEO is one of the world’s most powerful women and Time’s 100 most influential people. In the first of two rich conversations, she explains why she wrote more than 400 letters about her direct reports… to their parents. Indra and Adam discuss what she’s learned about leadership, finding and being a mentor, championing ideas from below, and making big career decisions. They also explore some of the big questions around the future of work—from embracing flexibility to creating equitable arrangements for women to making family a real priority. Read the text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/T4G22 This was an episode of Taken for Granted, but now the podcast is called ReThinking with Adam Grant, and it’s back with weekly episodes. You can listen to them right here in the WorkLife feed, or by following ReThinking with Adam Grant wherever you are right now. 

At the age of 18, Allyson Felix took home the Olympic silver medal in the 200 meter dash. She was devastated. Where others saw “second-best in the world,” she only saw “not first.” That race lit a fire that would carry her on to become the most decorated track and field athlete in American history. Adam talks with her about achieving excellence, bouncing back from her so-called “failures,” and sustaining motivation to medal in five straight Olympic games. Read the text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/T4G21 This was an episode of Taken for Granted, but now the podcast is called ReThinking with Adam Grant, and it’s back with weekly episodes. You can listen to them right here in the WorkLife feed, or by following ReThinking with Adam Grant wherever you are right now. 

We're back soon with new episodes of Taken for Granted, but for now, here's a TED Talk Adam gave recently. Have you found yourself staying up late, joylessly bingeing TV shows and doomscrolling through the news, or simply navigating your day uninspired and aimless? Chances are you're languishing—a psychic malaise that has become all too common after many months of the pandemic. Adam breaks down the key indicators of languishing and presents three ways to escape that "meh" feeling and start finding your flow. This was originally posted on TED Talks Daily, where you'll find a new idea every weekday. Follow TED Talks Daily wherever you get your podcasts.

People are finally paying attention to mental health at work, but some major myths are holding us back. Adam breaks down what we get wrong about mental health at work, what individuals and organizations can do to start getting it right, and why we all need compassion more than empathy. Thanks to our guests Demar Derozan, Sally Maitlis, Darlene Upton and Paul Bloom for joining us on this episode. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/WL41

Are you afraid to share bad news, ask for help, or admit you were wrong? These are signs of being in a psychologically unsafe work environment. Adam breaks down the importance of psychological safety in preventing errors and promoting innovation and inclusion, and examines what it takes to build a culture of voice rather than silence. Thanks to guests Ed Pierson, Amy Edmondson, Captain Bill Wilson and Admiral McRaven for appearing on this episode. Find the text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/410

In a world obsessed with efficiency, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash Broadway hits Hamilton and In the Heights began with idle curiosity. Adam interviews Lin together with his father, Luis, about finding harmony between creativity and productivity—and rhythm between work and life. They discuss what motivated Lin to take a big risk on the biggest stage of his life, the challenges of fitting in when you stand out, the importance of delegation and deadlines, and the lost art of doing nothing. Read the full text transcript at go.ted.com/T4G9. This was an episode of Taken for Granted, but now the podcast is called ReThinking with Adam Grant, and it’s back with weekly episodes. You can listen to them right here in the WorkLife feed, or by following ReThinking with Adam Grant wherever you are right now. 

Do you pay attention to your attention? John Green is the beloved author of The Fault In Our Stars, and when he started tracking his attention, he realized he was obsessed with evaluating human progress. He decided to start rating everything—from the capacity for human wonder to Canadian geese—on a five-point scale. In this deeply thoughtful conversation with Adam, John shares what he learned from his series of Yelp-style reviews, the gift of a great book, and the unexpected life lessons found in the last lap of Mario Kart. Read the full text transcript at go.ted.com/T4G8 This was an episode of Taken for Granted, but now the podcast is called ReThinking with Adam Grant, and it’s back with weekly episodes. You can listen to them right here in the WorkLife feed, or by following ReThinking with Adam Grant wherever you are right now. 

Criticism rarely comes wrapped in a shiny gift box, tied with a bow. As a trailblazing leader, one of Mellody Hobson’s gifts is finding the diamond in the rough. She and Adam unpack how to look for the grain of truth in any critique, when to discount feedback, and what it takes to be honest without being brutal. Find the full text transcript at go.ted.com/T4G7 This was an episode of Taken for Granted, but now the podcast is called ReThinking with Adam Grant, and it’s back with weekly episodes. You can listen to them right here in the WorkLife feed, or by following ReThinking with Adam Grant wherever you are right now. 

It’s been 25 years since the concept of emotional intelligence exploded onto the scene. Cultural critic Merve Emre makes a bold case that in the wrong hands, it can be used to exploit people. We unpack the surprising roots of emotional intelligence, how it’s been co-opted as a form of corporate control, and why you might want to rethink some of your core assumptions about emotions at work. You can find the full transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/T4GTscript6 This was an episode of Taken for Granted, but now the podcast is called ReThinking with Adam Grant, and it’s back with weekly episodes. You can listen to them right here in the WorkLife feed, or by following ReThinking with Adam Grant wherever you are right now. 

“I can’t do this.” “I didn’t deserve this promotion.” “When will they find me out?” If you’ve had thoughts like these, you aren’t alone. Nearly 70% of people have experienced imposter syndrome—even some of the most successful ones! The difference is in how they can use imposter thoughts as fuel, rather than a fire to burn them out. Adam shares three steps you can take to harness your own self-doubt as a fuel for success, and why we stand to gain more from embracing our insecurities rather than hiding from them. WorkLife is made possible with the support of LinkedIn, Logitech, Morgan Stanley, SAP, and Verizon.