WorkLife with Adam Grant podcast

WorkLife with Adam Grant

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  TED  

You spend a quarter of your life at work. You should enjoy it! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes you inside the minds of some of the world’s most unusual professionals to discover the keys to a better work life. From learning how to love your rivals to harnessing the power of frustration, one thing’s for sure: You’ll never see your job the same way again. Produced in partnership with Transmitter Media.

You spend a quarter of your life at work. You should enjoy it! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes you inside the minds of some of the world’s most unusual professionals to discover the keys to a better work life. From learning how to love your rivals to harnessing the power of frustration, one thing’s for sure: You’ll never see your job the same way again. Produced in partnership with Transmitter Media.

 

#157

The science of memory with Charan Ranganath

Charan Ranganath is a psychologist and neuroscientist who has spent his career studying memory. His new book, Why We Remember, surveys the latest science on the subject and digs into the links between memory and identity. Charan and Adam discuss surprising evidence on why we remember, what we forget, and how learning new ideas happens. ... Read more

26 Mar 2024

42 MINS

42:46

26 Mar 2024


#156

Understanding the pendulum swing of global power with Ian Bremmer

As a political scientist and founder of Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer helps business leaders, policymakers and the general public make sense of the world. He gives a stirring analysis of the current state of global affairs and explains what makes 2024 so complex. Ian and Adam discuss the cyclical nature of geopolitics, what’s different about today’s crisis of democracy, and what we can do as individuals to cope with it. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

19 Mar 2024

35 MINS

35:50

19 Mar 2024


#155

will.i.am on AI — and the future of creativity

You may know will.i.am as the seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and frontman of The Black Eyed Peas. But his interests beyond music have also taken him down a surprising and creative path — from serving as the director of creative innovation at Intel, to becoming the first artist to stream a song from the surface of Mars, to hosting the first radio show with an AI co-host. Adam asks about will.i.am’s creative process and digs into how he turns his expansive ideas into reality. will.i.am also shares his hopes and fears about the future of technology and entertainment, and the two debate what AI can and can’t do for human creativity. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

12 Mar 2024

31 MINS

31:46

12 Mar 2024


#154

How to be productive without burning out, with Cal Newport

Cal Newport knows a thing or two about productivity: when he’s not teaching computer science at Georgetown, he’s writing for The New Yorker, hosting a podcast, or authoring New York Times bestsellers like Deep Work and Digital Minimalism. In his new book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, Cal proposes that we trade current standards of rapid output for slower, higher-quality, and sustainable ways of working. Adam and Cal dig into the data on productivity, debate the benefits and drawbacks of doing fewer things (and spending less time on email and social media), and discuss individual habits and organizational practices for preventing burnout and promoting worthwhile work. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

05 Mar 2024

41 MINS

41:29

05 Mar 2024


#153

Is your organization a little culty? with NXIVM whistleblower Sarah Edmondson

Sarah Edmondson escaped and blew the whistle against NXIVM, the cult masquerading as a “personal and professional development company.” With clarity and a surprising and wry sense of humor, Sarah shares her lessons about the dark sides of charisma. She and Adam discuss what makes groups a little (or a lot) culty, the telltale signs of manipulation, and why our highest loyalty belongs to principles — not people. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

27 Feb 2024

27 MINS

27:31

27 Feb 2024


#152

Redefining hustle culture with Robin Arzón

Robin Arzón is the head instructor at Peloton and an ultramarathon runner, but she didn’t plan to make her career based on her athletic prowess. In this conversation with Adam, she talks about how she fell in love with running in adulthood and her radical career pivot from lawyer to renowned exercise instructor. They discuss what hustle culture gets wrong, why motivation may be less important than momentum, and how to create a consistent practice in the gym — and beyond it. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at [go.ted.com/RWAGscripts] (http://go.ted.com/RWAGscripts) ... Read more

20 Feb 2024

39 MINS

39:06

20 Feb 2024


#151

Revising the stories we hold dear with Denise Hamilton

Denise Hamilton is an inclusion strategist who works with organizations ranging from the UN to the WNBA. She is also the author of [Indivisible: How to Forge our Differences into a Stronger Future] (http://tedtalks.social/3SPHtIg) . Denise and Adam discuss the pain of abandoning old stories, the value of revising long-held beliefs, and how to respond to the backlash against diversity and inclusion. [Indivisible] (http://tedtalks.social/3SPHtIg) is out now. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

13 Feb 2024

35 MINS

35:16

13 Feb 2024


#150

Power, purpose, and the American presidency with Jared Cohen

Jared Cohen is a history buff with a career that boasts its own remarkable story. From the State Department to founding Jigsaw at Google to leading global affairs and innovation at Goldman Sachs, Jared has worked with the world’s top leaders to tackle humanity’s biggest problems. His work in international problem-solving also translates into a passion for U.S. history. His new book, [Life After Power] (http://tedtalks.social/3uffw3o) , is a fascinating exploration about what seven American presidents did after leaving the most influential job in the world. Adam and Jared discuss the psychology of the founding fathers, debate the pros and cons of pursuing a legacy, and share what these historic figures can teach us all about pursuing and finding purpose. [Life After Power] (http://tedtalks.social/3uffw3o) is out February 13, 2024. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

06 Feb 2024

34 MINS

34:40

06 Feb 2024


#149

How to become a "friction-fixer" with Bob Sutton

Bob Sutton is an organizational psychologist and bestselling author. In this zesty conversation with Adam, Bob shares insights on how to overcome friction at work. The two also discuss steps for leaders to become better listeners, the surprising advantages of inconvenience, and why it’s better to be a boring leader than an a-hole boss. Bob’s latest book, [The Friction Project,] (http://tedtalks.social/482lmTf) is out now. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

30 Jan 2024

38 MINS

38:14

30 Jan 2024


#148

Overcoming toxic positivity with Susan David

You don’t always decide what you feel, but you do own how you react to those feelings. In her bestselling book and TED Talk, Harvard Medical School psychologist Susan David examines the skills involved in emotional agility. She and Adam go deep on this topic, discussing the risks of judging and suppressing unwanted emotions — and effective techniques for managing them. They explore why optimism is not essential to well-being and how to overcome pressure to be positive. And they reveal how paying attention to what you feel can reveal what you value. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

23 Jan 2024

36 MINS

36:11

23 Jan 2024


#147

You have more control over your emotions than you think with Lisa Feldman Barrett

Emotions are like opinions — everyone has them. Thanks to the pioneering research of today’s guest, we know that it’s possible to transform our feelings by changing how we think and talk about them. Lisa Feldman Barrett is a psychologist and neuroscientist at Northeastern University and Harvard Medical School. In this episode, Lisa and Adam bust myths about how emotions are constructed in the brain and experienced in the body. They discuss the surprising evidence that language doesn’t just describe emotions — it shapes them. And they examine how managing your emotions is easier than you may realize. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

16 Jan 2024

36 MINS

36:26

16 Jan 2024


#146

Jennifer Garner realizes her hidden potential

Jennifer Garner’s roles — from “13 Going on 30” to “Juno” to “Alias” — often center strong women who know how to achieve great things. In a fun and surprising live conversation, Jennifer chats with Adam about his latest book, “Hidden Potential.” They dive into the most eye-opening findings in Adam’s research and the unexpected factors that build character and long-term success. Plus, the two dream up the ideal school — and discuss what it’s like to be both “Type A” and “Type Z” parents. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

09 Jan 2024

51 MINS

51:40

09 Jan 2024


#145

Bringing out the good in kids —and parents— with Becky Kennedy (Re-release)

As a clinical psychologist, Becky Kennedy works with parents to raise good kids. She’s best known as Dr. Becky on Instagram, and has been called the "Millennial parenting whisperer" for good reason. Becky and Adam challenge the widespread belief that it’s a parent’s job to make their children happy, talk candidly about the surprisingly difficult task of setting and maintaining boundaries, and dig into the science and practice of helping kids (and adults) deal with the ups and downs of life. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

02 Jan 2024

41 MINS

41:44

02 Jan 2024


#144

Daniel Kahneman doesn't trust your intuition (Re-release)

Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel Prize winner who transformed our understanding of the biases that cloud our thinking. In this conversation, he and Adam explore when to trust our intuition and when to second-guess it. Danny explains how he finds joy in being wrong, spells out steps to smarter interviewing, and reveals how he—the master decoder of decision-making—makes decisions. Find the transcript for this episode at [go.ted.com/RT-Kahneman] (http://go.ted.com/RT-Kahneman) ... Read more

26 Dec 2023

35 MINS

35:40

26 Dec 2023


#143

Chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley on why mistakes are our greatest teachers

Maurice Ashley is a trailblazing chess grandmaster — the first African-American player to claim that prestigious title. He’s also a chess coaching legend, as spotlighted in Adam's new book, “Hidden Potential.” Adam and Maurice discuss the lessons from losing, the benefits of respecting your opponents, and what drives a winning strategy in chess and life. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

19 Dec 2023

38 MINS

38:52

19 Dec 2023


#142

Your brain on art with Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen

If you think of the arts as entertainment or luxury, Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross might ask you to reconsider. The authors of the New York Times bestseller “Your Brain on Art” argue that engaging with music, craft projects, and museums can transform our lives in unexpected ways. Susan, Ivy, and Adam delve into the fascinating science of neuroaesthetics, and explore how art can unlock creativity, enhance well-being, and enrich communities. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

12 Dec 2023

34 MINS

34:06

12 Dec 2023


#141

The psychology of self-persuasion with Elliot Aronson

Elliot Aronson is one of the preeminent psychologists of the 20th century — his mentors were Abraham Maslow and Leon Festinger, and his award-winning psychology textbooks are seminal even for non-psychologists. Adam asks Elliot about his pioneering work on making mistakes and cognitive dissonance, or the discomfort we feel when we realize that our attitudes or actions contradict our values. Then, the two discuss the dangers (and upsides) of rationalizing our beliefs — and strategies for making better decisions while keeping an open mind. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts ... Read more

05 Dec 2023

45 MINS

45:03

05 Dec 2023