David Beckham on thriving under pressure and learning from mistakes

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.

Featured guest

• Follow David Beckham on Instagram • and at davidbeckham.com/

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• 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 ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

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