Worklife with Molly Graham

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Latest Episodes:

ReThinking: What motivates great Americans with Ron Chernow Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

Ron Chernow is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer whose work has deepened our understanding of the men who made history in America, and even inspired Lin Manuel Miranda to write his musical about Alexander Hamilton. In this episode, he and Adam discuss Ron’s new book on Mark Twain, analyze what fuels outsized accomplishments, and dig into what it takes to uncover new insights into the lives of historical figures.

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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Ron Chernow (Website: ronchernow.com/)

Links

Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

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ReThinking: Jacinda Ardern on leading with empathy and overcoming self-doubt Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

When Jacinda Ardern was thrown into the race for New Zealand’s prime ministry just months before the general election in 2017, she had no intention of even running for the position—but she knew it was her responsibility to become the leader her country needed. In this episode, Adam and Jacinda reflect on strategies for closing confidence gaps, discuss the importance of compassion in leadership, and break down a phenomenon that New Zealanders call “tall poppy syndrome.” They also look back on Jacinda’s most pivotal decisions, from steering the country through the COVID pandemic to stepping down as Prime Minister.

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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Jacinda Ardern (Instagram: @jacindaardern)

Links

Preorder A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern

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ReThinking: The neglected power of siblings with Susan Dominus Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Many parents believe that their actions will shape the success of their kids. But what if siblings actually matter more? Susan Dominus is a staff writer at the New York Times and the author of The Family Dynamic. In this episode, Susan and Adam discuss the psychology of achievement, the role siblings play in our accomplishments, and the relative impact of nature and nurture on excellence.

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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Susan Dominus (Instagram: @suedominus | Website: https://english.yale.edu/people/full-part-time-lecturers/susan-dominus)

Links

The Family Dynamic: A Journey Into the Mystery of Sibling Success

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WorkLife with Adam Grant: Office Hours with Adam: Bridging generational divides Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

Office hours are in session. In today’s episode, Adam follows up on last week’s analysis of generational stereotyping by fielding questions from three guests who are experiencing age-related challenges at work. Together, they discuss the misuse and impact of psychological safety, brainstorm productive ways to counter negative stereotypes about Gen Z, and explore strategies for bridging communication gaps across generations. Guests: vice-president of T-Mobile Tara Darrow, Adam’s former student Penelope Scandellari, and audio producer Harry Huggins.

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest:

Tara Darrow (LinkedIn: @taradarrow)

Penelope Scandellari (LinkedIn: @penelopescandellari)

Harry Huggins (LinkedIn: @harryhuggins | Website: airmedia.org/talent/harry-huggins)

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WorkLife with Adam Grant: Generational differences are vastly exaggerated Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

There are 5 different generations in the workplace today, and strong views can lead to conflict between age groups. But are generational differences really the problem? In this episode, Adam investigates the root causes of age stereotypes, why they hold us all back, and how to overcome generational divides at work. Guests: journalist Nicole Smith and research scientist Jennifer Deal.

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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest:

Nicole Smith (Instagram: @writingtwin | LinkedIn: @nicoledoniellesmith)

Jennifer Deal (Website: https://ceo.usc.edu/bio/jennifer-deal/)

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WorkLife with Adam Grant: The psychology of forgiveness with Michael McCullough Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

In this season of WorkLife, we’re pairing each of our regular episodes with a companion interview to do a deeper dive into the topic. This is the companion for our episode on the secrets of a great apology. Michael McCullough is a psychology professor at UC San Diego and a pioneer in the study of forgiveness, gratitude, and empathy—he finds that although forgiveness is important, it isn’t always the answer to conflict. Michael and Adam discuss why humans evolved to forgive, examine what causes people to hold grudges, and settle last episode’s debate about whether it’s appropriate to ask for forgiveness.

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Michael McCullough (Website: michael-mccullough.com/)

Links

psychology.ucsd.edu/people/profiles/mmccullough.html

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WorkLife with Adam Grant: The secrets of a great apology May 27, 2025

Show notes

When you mess up, a sincere apology can make all the difference. But making things right takes more than a simple “I’m sorry.” In this episode, Adam takes us from the pre-kindergarten classroom to Formula One’s race track to investigate what it takes to make amends, right wrongs, and repair relationships.

Guests: pre-K teacher Kath Konecky; management professor Beth Polin; Formula One executive Mark Gallagher.

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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest:

Kath Konecky (Website: ps321.org/our-school/staff/)

Beth Polin (Website: eku.edu/personnel/dr-beth-polin/)

Mark Gallagher (Website: mark-gallagher.com/)

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-transcripts

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WorkLife with Adam Grant: The dangers of identity capitalism with Jia Tolentino May 20, 2025

Show notes

In this season of WorkLife, we’re pairing each of our regular episodes with a companion interview to do a deeper dive into the topic. This is the deeper dive for our episode on the case against personal branding. Jia Tolentino is a writer at The New Yorker, screenwriter, and author of Trick Mirror—as a lauded culture critic, she’s a keen observer (and occasional victim) of the pressures we all face to brand ourselves online. Jia and Adam discuss the dark side of self-surveillance, the dangers of identity capitalism, and the routes to greater authenticity.

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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Jia Tolentino (Instagram: @jiatortellini | Website: jia.blog/)

Links

newyorker.com/contributors/jia-tolentino

Book: Trick Mirror

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WorkLife with Adam Grant: The case against personal branding May 13, 2025

Show notes

In the age of social media and influencers, we’re constantly pushed to think of ourselves as brands—shiny packages containing all of our best traits to market to employers and followers. But striving to build a “personal brand” may actually hinder your ability to make genuine connections and maintain a strong reputation. In this episode, Adam explores the science on alternatives to personal branding and explains why contribution, collaboration, and humility are better self-promotional tools than a carefully crafted image. Guests: management professor Mark Bolino; military leader Chevy Cook; writer and brand consultant Debbie Millman, host of the podcast Design Matters.

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest:

Mark Bolino (Instagram: | Website: ou.edu/price/bios/mark-bolino)

Chevy Cook (LinkedIn: @chaveso-chevy-cook | Website: ausa.org/people/ltc-chaveso-cook)

Debbie Millman (Instagram: @debbiemillman | LinkedIn: @deborahmillman | Website: https://debbiemillman.com/)

Links

https://www.centerformentoring.com/about-us/meet-chevy-cook-phd

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For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-transcripts

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WorkLife with Adam Grant: Protecting your time with Linda Babcock May 06, 2025

Show notes

In this season of WorkLife, we’re pairing each of our regular episodes with a companion interview to do a deeper dive into the topic. This is the deeper dive for our episode on how to say no. Linda Babcock is a professor emerita of economics at Carnegie Mellon and co-author of “The No Club,” a club of people who help each other set boundaries. Linda and Adam share some of their personal struggles and lessons with around no, discuss Linda’s research on why women take on more non-promotable tasks at work, and explore novel strategies for us all to guard our time against people who don’t respect it.

To listen to our previous episode, "How to Say No," click here!

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Linda Babcock (Website: thenoclub.com)

Links

The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work

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