What are the key takeaways from this WorkLife with Adam Grant episode?

Key insights include: **Daily Risk Practice:** Designate a yearly theme around risk-taking and log small uncomfortable actions in a journal weekly. Zhuo's "year of everyday risks" included micro-actions like speaking up in meetings, taking unscheduled breaks with family, and trying surfing — variety matters more than consistency of action type.; **Confidence Follows Risk, Not Vice Versa:** Most people wait for confidence before acting, but Zhuo's pattern from Facebook shows the sequence runs in reverse. Doing something scary first generates pride, which builds confidence. Treating risk like a muscle — starting with one push-up — makes subsequent attempts progressively less effortful over time.; **Courage vs. Fearlessness Distinction:** Fearlessness means acting without experiencing fear, which can signal recklessness or thrill-seeking. Courage means fully recognizing consequences and remaining afraid, yet acting anyway because the goal serves a larger shared purpose. Targeting courage rather than fearlessness produces more grounded, sustainable risk-taking behavior in work and life.

What did Julie Zhuo discuss on WorkLife with Adam Grant?

Follow Julie Zhuo, former Facebook design leader and author of The Making of a Manager, explains how risk-taking is a trainable skill built through daily small discomforts — not dramatic leaps — and how managers can create environments where teams take calculated risks without fear of judgment. Key topics include: **Daily Risk Practice:** Designate a yearly theme around risk-taking and log small uncomfortable actions in a journal weekly. Zhuo's "year of everyday risks" included micro-actions like speaking up in meetings, taking unscheduled breaks with family, and trying surfing — variety matters more than consistency of action type.; **Confidence Follows Risk, Not Vice Versa:** Most people wait for confidence before acting, but Zhuo's pattern from Facebook shows the sequence runs in reverse. Doing something scary first generates pride, which builds confidence. Treating risk like a muscle — starting with one push-up — makes subsequent attempts progressively less effortful over time..

How long is this episode of WorkLife with Adam Grant?

This episode is 36 minutes long. SignalCast provides an AI-generated summary so you can get the key insights in about 3 minutes.

WorkLife with Adam Grant

Why you should take a risk every day with Julie Zhuo

May 12, 2026

36 min episode · 2 min read

Julie Zhuo

Episode

36 min

Read time

2 min

Topics

Productivity, Relationships, Leadership

AI-Generated Summary

Published Sep 12, 2026

Key Takeaways

✓Daily Risk Practice: Designate a yearly theme around risk-taking and log small uncomfortable actions in a journal weekly. Zhuo's "year of everyday risks" included micro-actions like speaking up in meetings, taking unscheduled breaks with family, and trying surfing — variety matters more than consistency of action type.
✓Confidence Follows Risk, Not Vice Versa: Most people wait for confidence before acting, but Zhuo's pattern from Facebook shows the sequence runs in reverse. Doing something scary first generates pride, which builds confidence. Treating risk like a muscle — starting with one push-up — makes subsequent attempts progressively less effortful over time.
✓Courage vs. Fearlessness Distinction: Fearlessness means acting without experiencing fear, which can signal recklessness or thrill-seeking. Courage means fully recognizing consequences and remaining afraid, yet acting anyway because the goal serves a larger shared purpose. Targeting courage rather than fearlessness produces more grounded, sustainable risk-taking behavior in work and life.
✓Emotional Readiness Litmus Test: Before delivering difficult feedback, check whether thinking has shifted from ego-driven hurt toward a positive collaborative outcome. Zhuo's personal test: if the internal framing centers on shared goals — team success, long-term trust — rather than personal grievance, the conversation is ready to happen productively.
✓Psychological Safety Through Shared Success Metrics: Managers reduce team risk-aversion by aligning everyone on two things — a unified definition of success and shared base values around excellence and respect. When both are clear, individuals gain freedom to experiment and fail, provided they self-report failures fast and lead the diagnosis of what went wrong.

What It Covers

Follow Julie Zhuo, former Facebook design leader and author of The Making of a Manager, explains how risk-taking is a trainable skill built through daily small discomforts — not dramatic leaps — and how managers can create environments where teams take calculated risks without fear of judgment.

Key Questions Answered

•Daily Risk Practice: Designate a yearly theme around risk-taking and log small uncomfortable actions in a journal weekly. Zhuo's "year of everyday risks" included micro-actions like speaking up in meetings, taking unscheduled breaks with family, and trying surfing — variety matters more than consistency of action type.
•Confidence Follows Risk, Not Vice Versa: Most people wait for confidence before acting, but Zhuo's pattern from Facebook shows the sequence runs in reverse. Doing something scary first generates pride, which builds confidence. Treating risk like a muscle — starting with one push-up — makes subsequent attempts progressively less effortful over time.
•Courage vs. Fearlessness Distinction: Fearlessness means acting without experiencing fear, which can signal recklessness or thrill-seeking. Courage means fully recognizing consequences and remaining afraid, yet acting anyway because the goal serves a larger shared purpose. Targeting courage rather than fearlessness produces more grounded, sustainable risk-taking behavior in work and life.
•Emotional Readiness Litmus Test: Before delivering difficult feedback, check whether thinking has shifted from ego-driven hurt toward a positive collaborative outcome. Zhuo's personal test: if the internal framing centers on shared goals — team success, long-term trust — rather than personal grievance, the conversation is ready to happen productively.
•Psychological Safety Through Shared Success Metrics: Managers reduce team risk-aversion by aligning everyone on two things — a unified definition of success and shared base values around excellence and respect. When both are clear, individuals gain freedom to experiment and fail, provided they self-report failures fast and lead the diagnosis of what went wrong.

Notable Moment

Zhuo revealed that her reputation for bravery at Facebook was largely circumstantial — immigrating to the US at age six and navigating explosive company growth left her little choice. She now distinguishes chosen risk from forced bravery, arguing that agency over difficulty produces more lasting confidence and personal growth.

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Episode Transcript

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire can cost you time, money, and momentum. A good hire, they can change everything. But finding great talent isn't easy, especially when you don't have the time or resources to sift through piles of resumes and find the right fit. That's why LinkedIn Build Hiring Pro, your new hiring partner that screens candidates for you. So instead of sorting through applications, you can spend your time talking to candidates and finding your next great hire. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence, knowing you're getting the best talent for your business. In fact, LinkedIn found that its users are 24% less likely to need to reopen a role within twelve months compared to the leading competitor. Join the 2,700,000 small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com/worklife. Terms and conditions apply. This episode is sponsored by Range Rover Sport. Life moves fast, and when the world around you feels like it's changing a mile a minute, you need a vehicle that helps you rise to the challenge. Dynamic by design, the Range Rover Sport combines ultimate luxury and unbridled agility for a powerful drive filled with the latest innovations to keep you and your vehicle connected. An elegant 13 inch touchscreen lets you seamlessly navigate and control vehicle systems. And interior refinements like heated seating with a massage function mean comfort and luxury for every journey. Every detail of the Range Rover Sport has been engineered for impact, and its uncompromising design commands attention wherever it goes. With a variety of unique colors, interior finishes, accessories, and even wheel options, the ways to personalize your Range Rover Sport are nearly unlimited. When your time to lead arrives, you need a vehicle that rises to meet it, the Range Rover Sport. Exclusive offers available now. Explore further at rangerover.com. Today's episode is sponsored by Your Next Dollar, a podcast from NerdWallet Wealth Partners. Most financial content out there focuses on the basics budgeting, paying off debt, building an emergency fund. But maybe you're past that stage and wondering what's next? When the question shifts from how do I save more to what should I actually do with what I have, that's where Your Next Dollar comes in. The podcast covers both sides of the equation: building wealth and spending intentionally on what matters to you, your family, and your future. Financial advisors from NerdWallet Wealth Partners join the show regularly to dig into the nuanced, real world questions that everyday financial content just doesn't get into. If you want help getting more out of every dollar you earn, follow Your Next Dollar wherever you get your podcasts. Sponsored by Your Next Dollar, a podcast from NerdWallet Wealth Partners, an SEC registered investment advisor. This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not investment, tax or legal advice. Most of us think about …

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The Making of a ManagerBy guest
by Julie Zhuo
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