Life Threads

Calm is often treated as something we either have or don’t. But over a long working life, it is a capability we can strengthen - through the spaces we protect, the habits we build and the way we respond to pressure. 

In this episode of Life Threads, Lynda Gratton explores how to create calm in a world that constantly works against it. She is joined by Randall S. Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, and author and philosopher Robert Rowland Smith. 

Together, they discuss how personality, workplace culture, attention and everyday choices shape our capacity for calm - and why calm underpins how clearly we think, respond and work with others. 

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Chapters:

00:35 Introduction
01:45 Randall Peterson on personality, stress and finding calm
06:42 Creating calm and protecting focus at work
17:13 Four practical tips for strengthening calm
19:18 Robert Rowland Smith on calm, belonging and responding to life
27:07 Building inner resources and habits for calm
33:36 Finding calm through nature, mastery and meaningful work
37:36 Lynda’s final thoughts

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Intimacy is often treated as separate from work. But over a long working life, our closest relationships are shaped by time, ambition, care and the choices we make every day. 

In this episode of Life Threads, Lynda Gratton explores how we build and sustain close relationships alongside our working lives. She is joined by Stew Friedman, founding director of the Work/Life Integration Project at Wharton, and the Wharton Leadership Programme, and Jennifer Petriglieri, a Professor at INSEAD, whose work focuses on couples, careers and change. 

Together, they ask how intimacy can be renewed through reflection, explicit conversations, curiosity and small rituals of attention. The question is: how do we keep noticing - and choosing - the relationships that matter most? 

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Chapters:
00:38 Introduction
01:34 Stew Friedman on integrating work, life and relationships
20:33 Practical tools for making time for what matters
27:08 Jennifer Petriglieri on navigating work and partnership
35:35 Creating connection and supporting each other’s growth
46:34 Four skills for lasting intimacy
49:43 Lynda’s final thoughts

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Friendship is often treated as something we fit around the rest of life. But over a long working life, it becomes one of the relationships that most sustains us. 

In this episode of Life Threads, Lynda Gratton explores what it takes to build and maintain meaningful friendships over time. She is joined by Robert Waldinger, Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, whose research shows the powerful link between warm relationships, happiness and health. Later, Shirley Cramer, a long-standing friend of Lynda’s, reflects on how friendship is sustained across decades through attention, continuity and care. 

Together, they ask: who are you choosing to stay connected to? 

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Chapters:
00:40 Introduction
01:43 Robert Waldinger on friendship, happiness and health
06:37 Navigating work friendships and building trust
16:47 Strengthening friendships and making new connections
20:49 Shirley Cramer on sustaining friendships across decades
32:43 Friendship at work and creating a caring culture
37:12 Four tips for lasting friendships
41:24 Lynda’s final thoughts

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Technology isn’t just disruptive; it can extend our capabilities and magnify what makes us unique at work. As AI makes routine tasks easier, our distinctiveness - judgment, relationships, expertise - matters more. The real question is, what will you choose to amplify, and what will you keep human?

In this episode, Lynda Gratton explores how technology can enhance a long working life, featuring psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Top 50 Business Thinker, Dorie Clark. They discuss practical ways to use tech to extend reach, reputation, and impact, and why deliberate choices are key to thriving in the age of AI.

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Chapters:
00:50 Introduction
02:00 Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic on AI and the future of work
12:58 Amplifying your capabilities and staying distinctive
21:23 Dorie Clark on reach, reputation and career opportunities
34:34 Staying human and playing the long game
41:55 Four tips for amplification
46:44 Lynda’s final thoughts

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What does it really mean to know something?

In this episode, Lynda Gratton explores the difference between gathering information and truly knowing, with insights from Selin Kesebir, Associate Professor at London Business School, and Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia.

Selin reveals how deep understanding grows not just from facts, but from experience, reflection and openness to change. Julia shares how pivotal moments and setbacks transformed her perspective and identity. Together, they discuss how self-knowledge develops through challenge, contrast with others, and learning from setbacks - and how wisdom emerges over a long working life through connection and compassion.

This episode delves into why knowing is more than information: it’s a shift that shapes how we think, act and relate to others.

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Chapters:

00:42 Introduction

01:47 The difference between knowing and information

06:02 The role of self-knowledge

21:50 Julia Gillard on learning through experience

30:30 Knowing what really matters

42:06 Four takeaways for deeper knowing

30:10 Lynda’s final thoughts

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What can world-class opera and ballet teach us about cooperation? In this episode, Lynda Gratton sits down with Sir Alex Beard, Chief Executive of the Royal Ballet and Opera, to explore the teamwork, trust and shared standards behind every performance.

Alex reveals what happens behind the curtain, where hundreds of musicians, performers, designers, technicians and front-of-house staff work together to create something that appears effortless. He explains how immediate, actionable feedback helps even the most celebrated performers continue to grow, and why trust is essential when every role depends on another.

From responding to last-minute setbacks to taking creative risks, this episode explores how radical cooperation enables resilience, innovation and extraordinary work – and what leaders in any organisation can learn from the ultimate team sport.

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:47 The invisible performance: what happens behind the curtain

08:45 The power of feedback and notes

13:13 Trust, team curation and process

18:39 Innovation and taking creative risks

28:55 Four takeaways for radical cooperation

30:25 Lynda’s final thoughts

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What does it really mean to master something - and why does mastery keep changing? In this episode, Lynda Gratton sits down with Turner Prize-winning artist Sir Grayson Perry and leadership and career transition expert Herminia Ibarra for a conversation about creativity, reinvention, and staying relevant in a fast-changing world. 

Grayson Perry talks about identity, the impact of option paralysis on creativity, and why he’s not worried about AI replacing artists. Herminia Ibarra shares why being great at your job could actually hold you back, how to escape a “competency trap,” and what it takes to reinvent your career - even when you’re not sure what’s next. 

From the risks of sticking with what you know, to the courage it takes to start over, this episode is full of real stories, practical advice, and surprising insights on how to keep your career - and yourself - moving forward. 

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:00 Grayson Perry on art, craft and learning new skills

11:01 The difference between a hobby and a career

15:00 Identity, authenticity and mental health

29:15 Herminia Ibarra on career transitions and networks

40:38 The cost and trap of mastery

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