The dark side of charisma

Niall Ferguson is an intellectual provocateur. His specialty is counterfactual history — imagining how events could have unfolded differently. And he and Adam disagree on nearly everything. In this episode, Niall and Adam have a vigorous debate about the vital qualities of effective leadership in government, sports, business, and education.  Available transcripts for ReThinking can be found at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy thinks about public health holistically. Whether he's addressing youth mental health crises, the loneliness epidemic or serving on the White House's COVID-19 pandemic response team, Vivek is dedicated to improving well-being. In a live conversation, Vivek and Adam discuss the individual and collective foundations of belonging and wellness. Available transcripts for ReThinking can be found at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts

Too many teams are less than the sum of their parts, and building a great team requires more than just picking an all-star roster or doing trust falls. Adam dives into the hard-hitting research on what makes teams work — with members of the “Miracle on Ice" Olympic hockey team and organizational behavior professor Anita Woolley. You’ll also hear some special tape from Adam’s late mentor Richard Hackman, a leading expert on teams. Available transcripts for WorkLife can be found at go.ted.com/WLtranscripts 

Many workplaces hire, reward and promote on culture fit. But that can come with real costs to individuals and organizations. In this episode, Adam dives into the evidence on why overemphasizing fit can overlook promising people — and shows how organizations can fight conformity and support self-expression. Guests include Ellevest founder Sallie Krawcheck, IDEO innovators Jim Yurchenco and Diego Rodriguez, and organizational behavior expert Patricia Hewlin. Available transcripts for WorkLife can be found at go.ted.com/WLtranscripts

Before John Legend was coaching The Voice and winning Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys, he was a twenty-something consultant living in Boston. In this episode, John sits down with Adam to share how he hustled from the boardroom to the studio and crafted the creative career that led him to the top of the entertainment industry. John also talks about how he maintains creative vision at the core of his business, and why family and advocacy work are vital to his artistic mission. Available transcripts for ReThinking can be found at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts