Worklife with Adam Grant
Worklife with Adam Grant
TED
ReThinking: David Beckham on thriving under pressure and learning from mistakes
27 minutes Posted Mar 31, 2026 at 4:00 am.
0:00
27:20
Download MP3
Show notes

In 1998, soccer star David Beckham made international news at his first World Cup when he lost his cool and got a critical red card. But he went on to lead his teams to numerous titles, become runner up for World Player of the Year, and even be knighted for his contributions to the game. In this episode, David joins Adam at the World Economic Forum in Davos to talk about the thrill of performing under pressure, strategies for managing strong emotions, and the unifying power of sport. Adam also grills David about his competitive drive and his unwavering commitment to showing up early.


Host & Guest

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

David Beckham (Instagram: @davidbeckham | Website: https://www.davidbeckham.com/)

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


Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.