Worklife with Adam Grant – Details, episodes & analysis

Trevor Noah is widely admired for his quick wit. He's hosted The Daily Show and the Grammy Awards, sold out huge arenas around the world, had numerous hit comedy specials on Netflix, and published a bestselling memoir, Born a Crime. One of the keys to his success is his ability to read people and communicate clearly. In a lively discussion with Adam, Trevor dives into the importance of context in everything from personal relationships to global politics. The two also debate the best way to improve American politics — and Trevor does a few impromptu impressions, including one of Adam. Trevor's new podcast, What Now?, is available on all platforms.

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

Before becoming the director of major films like Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights and the upcoming Wicked, Jon M. Chu wondered if he missed his chance to make it big. After a great deal of trial and error, his path to success is its own cinematic hero's journey. Jon and Adam discuss what it takes to reach your own potential, the creative process, and how to find the courage to tell new stories. His new book Viewfinder is out now.

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

In 2017, Alex Honnold did what even the world’s best rock climbers thought was impossible. He climbed to the top of El Capitan– a granite rock mountain more than 3,000 feet high– without a rope, harness, or net. His audacious feat was the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary “Free Solo,” and it left Adam with some burning questions about what we can learn from his unique approach to managing fear. Alex opens up about how he regulates his emotions when he’s hanging on by just a few fingers, what still scares him, and how he stays motivated to pursue ambitious goals. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/RWAG2

Mark Cuban has gone from selling garbage bags door-to-door to selling internet companies for billions, acquiring an NBA team, and becoming a beloved “Shark” on Shark Tank. Mark reveals to Adam how he turns problems into opportunities in entrepreneurship, basketball, and investing. They discuss his latest venture–disrupting the healthcare industry with an online pharmacy and a price-slashing philosophy that makes hundreds of drugs affordable–and why following your passion is not the best way to maintain your motivation.
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/RWAG1

Great news WorkLifers! You told us you wanted more episodes of Taken for Granted, and we listened. We’ve renamed the show Re:Thinking with Adam Grant, and we’ll be back with more episodes, all year round. In every episode Adam will host lively discussions and debates with the world’s most fascinating thinkers, creators, achievers, and leaders to figure out what makes them tick. Adam will bring curiosity and science to conversations with people like entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban, death-defying rock climber Alex Honnold, novelist Celeste Ng, Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon, Nobel Prize-winning Saul Perlmutter, the physicist who discovered the expansion of the universe, and many more. How do they think–and what do they challenge us all to rethink? Find out on ReThinking with Adam Grant on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Michael Scott, Leslie Knope, Detective Jake Peralta–television producer and writer Michael Schur has created some of TV’s most beloved sitcom characters on shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and The Good Place. Still, his shows and his philosophy are not just about laughs. Today on The TED Interview, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective, Michael Schur sits down with host Steven Johnson. They dive into the craft of writing the TV comedy, why he is obsessed with philosophy and ethics, and what he’s learned from both the fictional and the real workplace about how humans behave, grow, and love. Michael’s New York Times-bestselling book “How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question” is out now. 

For more episodes on the future of work, health, intelligence, and more, follow The TED Interview wherever you're listening to this.

It’s hard to make change at work happen. But wherever you sit in the hierarchy, there are steps you can take to overcome resistance and motivate people to embrace new ideas. In this episode, Adam brings in an education change agent, a business turnaround specialist, and a bestselling author to identify what you can do to improve the status quo. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/WL49

How do you avoid joining a toxic culture– and build a healthy one once you’ve arrived? In this episode, Adam explores how to recognize the four deadly sins of work culture before you join an organization, and shares strategies that can help shape a thriving workplace from the inside. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/WL48

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

Disability is far more common and far more diverse than we might realize. But often, people are reluctant to reveal their disabilities, and managers don’t know how to address them. In this episode, Adam investigates some extraordinary steps workplaces are taking to support people with disabilities– and those without. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/WL47

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