ReThinking: Esther Perel on the relationship baggage we bring to work

ReThinking: Esther Perel on the relationship baggage we bring to work

From Worklife with Molly Graham by TED

March 3, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

Esther Perel discusses the relational baggage we carry into work and its impact on collaboration and culture.

Esther Perel is a psychotherapist known for her innovative approach to relationships. In this episode, Adam and Esther discuss the relational baggage we all carry through our lives and into our work, and how our differing personalities and relationship styles can affect collaboration and culture. They break down the differences between relationship- and task-oriented personalities, and consider the fine balance between risk-taking and rule-following that makes for a healthy relationship with ourselves and others. Featured guest Follow Esther Perel on Instagram , Substack , and at estherperel.com/ Connect with the team Follow Adam on Instagram , LinkedIn , and at adamgrant.net/ Subscribe to Adam’s Substack Watch ReThinking videos on YouTube at TEDAudioCollective Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-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.

People in this episode

Host: Adam Grant

Guest: Esther Perel

Topics covered

  • relationships
  • work culture
  • collaboration
  • personality types
  • risk-taking
  • task-oriented
  • relationship-oriented

Keywords

  • relational baggage
  • work relationships
  • collaboration
  • personality styles
  • risk-taking
  • work culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: TED

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