Rethink Moments with Rachel Botsman

What happens when your intentions are seriously misunderstood? This week’s Rethink Moment is the TED Talk on power posing that became a viral sensation - and made Amy Cuddy a threat to the academic community. In this episode, Rachel and Amy explore how the world can turn against you, despite your best intentions. Amy is currently writing her second book: Bullies, Bystanders, and Bravehearts. Watch Amy’s viral TED Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are The article referenced by Rachel is here: https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-psychologist-amy-cuddy-how-people-judge-you-2016-1 And here is Rachel’s newsletter digging deeper into integrity, intentions, and motives: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/integrity-most-important-way-earn-trust-rachel-botsman/

Can we learn to listen to those we don’t agree with? This season’s final episode features two guests who have very different views on vaccinations.  It is estimated that 2019 has seen a 300% increase in cases of measles globally. Where has this doubt around vaccinations come from? In Part One, Rachel talks with the Director of The Vaccine Confidence Project, Professor Heidi Larson. Heidi trained as an anthropologist specialising in risk and through her work listens to and practices empathising with the concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents.  She is the perfect person to help unpack the crisis in confidence around vaccines.

Too much of today’s media pits the so-called ‘expert’ against the ‘anti-something.’ That’s not what this special on vaccinations is about. In Part Two of the Trust Issues special on vaccines, we hear from mother-of-two, Rita, who shares her own beliefs and opens up about why an experience with her son caused her distrust in vaccines to develop. Rita’s views on vaccines don’t reflect my own, but practising tolerance for different beliefs and views – understanding and empathising with why someone is angry, confused or even afraid – is the first essential step towards finding a way through a serious trust issue.   How can we ever address the fears and doubts around vaccinations, if we aren’t really willing to listen and understand them?

In this discussion with David Coulthard, a British driving legend with 13 Grand Prix titles, listeners discover the Formula 1 mindset focused on trust and resilience. David reflects on how losses shape a champion's journey more than victories. He emphasizes the importance of a blame-free culture in high-pressure environments and the value of accountability in teams. The conversation also explores balancing instinct with data for peak performance and the profound relationships forged through competition and camaraderie in the racing world.

Can we control how others perceive us? Adam Grant’s career is an ongoing success story. Switching from Junior Olympic diving to organisational psychology, Adam became the youngest tenured professor at Wharton and has received multiple teaching awards. He also has four New York Times bestsellers under his belt and currently hosts the chart-topping TED podcast, WorkLife. But as he reveals to Rachel in this two-part episode, Adam is never quite satisfied. He’s on a constant quest for self-improvement. The question is: do we earn people’s trust by impressing them – or should we sometimes show (and accept) our imperfections?

What makes us question ourselves? Over the last 20 years, TV audiences and radio listeners alike have taken Fearne Cotton into their hearts. As a music presenter on Radio 1 and now as the host of her own smash-hit podcast, Happy Place, Fearne has earned the trust of A-list celebrities, making them feel comfortable to open up about their lives. Today, Fearne gets to be the interviewee, as Rachel chats with her about forming meaningful connections, sharing our vulnerabilities (both at work and at home) and why, no matter who we are, sometimes the biggest struggle is believing in ourselves.

Is doubt holding you back – or can it drive you forward? Tea Uglow doesn’t always know who she is. And she’s okay with that. In this episode, Rachel and Tea catch up about the expectations we all feel around our identities and, crucially, why doubt and uncertainty give us the freedom to learn, to grow, to change – and to trust.

What happens when those at the top don’t tell us the truth? Why were thousands of patients given infected blood products from the NHS in the UK during the 1970s and 80s? Decades after the scandal, an ongoing public inquiry is finally searching for answers. Speaking to Rachel from her home, Della shares her emotional story of losing her son, and describes the brave battles she fought to protect him from those who were meant to be protecting him.

Have you ever been conned? Did you ask yourself why you didn’t see it coming? Or have you been wary of trusting people since? In this fascinating episode, Rachel is joined by Maria Konnikova, the award-winning author and psychology writer, who in 2018 surprised everyone – including herself – by becoming a world-champion poker player. Maria reveals what makes us susceptible to deception.

Does risk equal danger? Or are you in danger of playing it safe? It’s fair to say that Ant Middleton knows a thing or two about risk. After 13 years of military service, the Chief Instructor of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins has put his mind and body through the most extreme challenges imaginable. Having survived everything from enemy fire to a life-threatening descent of Mount Everest, Ant reveals to Rachel how critical trust is to harnessing our fears and venturing into the unknown.