WorkLife with Adam Grant

Julia Gillard served as the Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013. During her tenure as the first woman to hold that role, she gave an electrifying speech about sexism and how it impacts all women, even those in power. Since then, she has continued to fight for gender equality. In this interview, she opens up about the challenges faced by women in leadership positions and the reactions to her viral speech. She also talks about the causes of deepening gender divides, how feminism also benefits men, and the qualities great leaders should embody regardless of how they identify.

Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts 

An excerpt from Julia Gillard's 2020 speech was used in this episode. The clip was sourced from the Commonwealth of Australia, and is used under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 AU.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a rare psychological concept that has achieved pop culture fame. David Dunning -- the lead author and one of the world’s most-cited psychologists -- joins Adam to discuss his famous findings about the arrogance of ignorance, the challenges of knowing what you don’t know, and the dangers of “doing your own research.” Then David and Adam uncover strategies for overcoming overconfidence among amateurs as well as experts.

Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts    

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

Anne Curzan is a professional word nerd. As a linguist and English professor, Anne studies the history of the English language — and how public attitudes about words shift over time. Adam and Anne geek out over whether the grammar rules you learned in school are justified, why some language peeves are (or aren't) worth holding onto, and confess what they're learning from Gen-Z slang. Anne's latest book, Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide For Everyone Who Cares About Words, is out now.

Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts

Gabrielle Zevin wrote the runaway bestseller Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, but she doesn’t expect anyone to know most of her other nine books. The acclaimed novelist joins Adam to discuss how to face failure, find inspiration, make sure success doesn't hinder creativity, and stay motivated when your goals don't align with your skills. Then, they riff on the most important elements of a story and several mic drop moments in her work. 

Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts

Sir Richard Branson has spent his lifetime taking dreams and making them reality. As the founder of the Virgin Group, he's built more than 400 businesses spanning from retail to music to transport. In his spare time, he’s advocated for human rights and sustainability — and set world records for hot air ballooning and kitesurfing. Richard talks with Adam about what he’s learned about courage and risk-taking in more than half a century of entrepreneurship, unveils his distinctive view of competition, and shares what he thinks great leaders have in common. Richard’s new audiobook, "Losing and Finding My Virginity: The Full Story," is out now.

Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts

Justin Trudeau has served as the Prime Minister of Canada since 2015. And there’s a lot to dig into from his years in office — and from his life before, as well. Adam sits down with him to discuss lessons learned about leadership. The Prime Minister opens up for the first time about his early struggles with impostor syndrome and how he maintains his motivation in the face of disapproval and criticism today. He also shares how he encourages people to speak truth to power, where his team is challenging him to improve right now, why he considered quitting, and what keeps him awake at night.

Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts

American writer Rebecca Solnit thinks deeply and writes evocatively about our world. Her must-read essays and award-winning books span hope, history, art, leadership, and sustainability. Adam and Rebecca reflect on what we lose when public discourse is diluted to fit into social media, debate how to bring back good conversations online, and share why being able to recalibrate our opinions is crucial in our increasingly digital world.

Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts

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 episode previously aired June 22, 2021.

Brian Chesky, the CEO and cofounder of Airbnb, is firmly in the trust business. His focus isn't only on building a trusted platform for people to rent their homes to strangers — it's on earning the trust of his employees. Adam and Brian discuss how to lead with care in tough times, why it's better to overcommunicate than undercommunicate, what to expect for the future of work, and why a company should be treated as a community rather than a family. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts