The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

Uncertainty is Not the Enemy

264 snips
Apr 16, 2026
They dig into why people stay loyal to draining relationships and workplaces, what makes an apology feel real, and how leaders handle doubt. Then the conversation turns to uncertainty, anxiety, polarization, strongman appeal, misinformation, and the strange comfort people find in certainty.
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INSIGHT

Premortems Need Skill Building and Safety

  • Premortems work because teams need both risk-spotting skills and psychological safety, not just permission to speak.
  • Brené Brown says strong premortems build anticipatory thinking, systems awareness, and productive challenge so people reveal what they know before the postmortem.
INSIGHT

Why People Stay Loyal to Bad Systems

  • People often stay in draining jobs or relationships because exit and voice feel blocked, not because loyalty is simple or chosen.
  • Adam Grant maps responses as exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect; Brené Brown adds necessity, like needing rent, tuition, or health insurance.
ADVICE

What Makes an Apology Actually Repairing

  • Give apologies that own responsibility and show repair instead of chasing quick absolution.
  • Adam Grant highlights responsibility and behavior change; Brené Brown cites Harriet Lerner's rule to remove but and not ask the hurt person for forgiveness.
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